Buying guide — How to choose the right door handle
This guide explains everything that determines your choice of handle: rose, compatibility, sizes, spindle, locking types, materials and price.
1. Choosing the right function rose
The function rose (bit key, standard key, euro cylinder or bathroom) is always on the handle's product page — nowhere else on the site.
Where to find it
Option 1 — Drop-down list
Related accessories
Option 2 — Related accessories
Our manual check
Mismatched brand or finish? We correct it by hand before shipping.
If you choose a rose from a different brand than your handle, or if the finish shown does not match (for example a satin nickel handle with a brushed nickel rose), we check every order by hand and adjust the rose so that it matches your handle.
2. Compatibility with standard doors
All our handles fit standard doors.
We always supply the accessories (spindle, screws, rod) suited to your door.
Our handles come from European manufacturers and have an 8 x 8 mm spindle, the standard on most European locks: direct fit. A 7 x 7 mm spindle and 7/8 mm reducers are also included.
Not sure? Write to us at contact@millapoignees.com and we will find the right solution.
3. Door thickness
Before buying, measure the thickness of your door: this determines whether the handle fits directly or needs to be adapted.
38–44 mm
Standard thickness
All our handles fit without modification.
44–60 mm
Thick door
Mention it in the order comment so we can adapt it.
> 60 mm
Very thick door
Email us so we can check whether it is feasible.
4. The spindle
The spindle is the metal bar that runs through the lock and connects the two levers. Its section must match the spindle hole of your lock: it is the compatibility detail most often overlooked.
8 x 8 mm
European standard
Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Germany. Our handles are drilled to 8 x 8 mm as standard.
7 x 7 mm
French standard
Locks fitted in France and some older locks.
6 x 6 mm
Older doors and rim locks
Common on older doors. Tell us before ordering.
An 8 x 8 mm spindle, a 7 x 7 mm spindle and metal 7/8 mm reducers — never plastic. Standard length: 100 mm, can be cut down.
The reducer slides onto the 7 x 7 mm spindle and takes up the 8 x 8 mm hole in the handle. Without it the spindle floats and the lever develops play.
For privacy turns, 4/6 mm reducers are supplied depending on the model. If your lock needs a 6 x 6 mm spindle, tell us before ordering.
5. The 3 types of function rose
Each key type has its own rose — it always sits below the lever.
Euro cylinder key
"i" key — entrance door
lever
function rose
Euro cylinder — security.
Bit key
"L" key — main rooms
lever
function rose
Classic keyhole — bedrooms, offices.
Privacy turn
WC, bathroom
lever
2 roses (1 per side)
Inside turn + free/engaged indicator.
6. Anatomy of the lock (mortice)
Three variants for three key types. The lock is always hidden inside the door; only the faceplate (the metal strip visible on the door edge) stays in view.
Cylinder lock
"i" key · euro cylinder
Bit key lock
"L" key (classic)
Bathroom lock
with privacy turn
7. Materials and price levels
The price of a handle depends largely on its material. Here are the main materials used, from the most affordable to the most premium.
The price of a handle depends mainly on its material, its origin, how it is manufactured and the quality of its finish.
A higher-end handle usually stands out through greater weight, more precise shapes, better-finished edges, a higher-quality surface treatment and greater wear resistance.
The most premium models may be made of brass or bronze, with more technical finishes and a more demanding manufacturing process. Conversely, the more affordable models use simpler processes and more standardised materials.
8. Putting your set together
Front view — you only see the handle and the rose. The lock stays hidden inside the door.
9. Upward-opening handle
If the handle needs to open upwards, this must be requested before purchase. All our interior handles have a return spring and point downwards by default; upward opening is a modification carried out at the factory.
Standard — points down
With return spring — all our interior handles.
Upward — points up
Factory modification — mention it in the order comment before buying.
10. For public spaces
For heavy use, some handles are certified to the European standard EN 1906, which rates handles by category of use from 1 to 4. Grades 3 and 4 are the ones that matter here: they withstand tens of thousands of operating cycles with no particular maintenance.
Heavy use
Very heavy use, maintenance-free
and other public buildings
11. Rose shape and thickness
Five possible shapes, thicknesses from 3 to 12 mm — every detail affects the look and the price.
Round
Square
Oval
Rounded square
Rectangular
Looks can be deceiving: in a photo two handles may look alike — the thickness of the rose or the material makes the price difference.
Rose thickness
From 3 mm to 12 mm — affects the look and the price
Similar look, very different prices
Aluminium vs brass — the material makes the difference
Aluminium
€€Brass
€€€€12. Backplates — centre distance and fixing centres
This section applies only to handles on a long backplate, not to handles on roses. There is no single European value: 70, 72, 85, 90 and 92 mm are all common, depending on the country and the lock. Measure from the centre of the spindle to the centre of the key before ordering.
13. Mortice lock or rim lock?
Look at your door: if a metal box is visible on the inside face, it is a rim lock. If nothing is visible (the lock sits inside the door), it is a mortice lock.
Mortice lock (recessed)
Invisible — inside the door
Standard handle + rose, on both sides of the door.
Rim lock
Visible metal box, screwed onto the door
The lever mounts directly onto the lock box, without a rose.
The metal box cannot be drilled: on the box side you need a single lever, without a rose, mounted directly onto the box.
On the other side of the door, on the wood, a standard handle with a rose is fine.