Modern B165 Door Handle on P90TB Backplate Brass - MADE IN FRANCE

A straight lever on a traditionally designed backplate

The lever is flat and straight with crisp edges: a contemporary design that does not seek ornamentation. It is set on a gendarme-hat backplate, a bevelled profile finished with a small arch at the top and bottom, whose design dates back to pre-war architectural hardware.

The contrast is deliberate. It allows this set to look just as fitting on a renovation door, where the backplate conceals old fitting marks, as on new joinery, where it introduces the only curved line.

Choosing the backplate perforation

This is the only decision to make before ordering, and it depends on the lock already fitted on your door. Check what is positioned beneath your current handle:

• Plain plate (latch) — no keyhole. For non-locking doors: cupboards, children’s bedrooms, connecting doors.
• Standard keyway (lever lock) — the classic keyhole shape for a traditional mortice key. This is the standard perforation for traditional French interior doors.
• Euro profile cylinder — a profile cut-out for a lock cylinder. Found on more modern locks.
• Bathroom turn & release — the small thumbturn operated from the inside, with an emergency release on the outside. This is the perforation used for bathrooms and toilets.

In doubt? Send us a photo of your door with the handle in place: we will tell you which perforation to choose.

Specifications

• Material: solid brass
• Lever handle: flat and straight lever
• Backplate: long, gendarme-hat profile, visible screws
• Backplate perforation: plain plate, standard keyway, Euro profile cylinder, or bathroom turn & release
• Spindle supplied: 7 mm
• Return spring: none (unsprung) — compatible with lift-to-lock mechanisms
• Contents: one pair of door handles on backplate, one 7 mm spindle, fixing screws
• Origin: France, Vimeu (Picardy)
• Warranty: 2 years

Finishes

From polished gold to anthracite, as well as bronze, copper, chrome, and nickel finishes. The selected finish applies to both the lever and the backplate: the complete set arrives perfectly matched, straight from the same finishing bath.

The spindle

The spindle is the metal rod that passes through the lock and transmits the movement of the lever handle. Its dimensions vary depending on the country and the type of lock.

• 7 mm — supplied as standard. This is the standard size for French mortice locks.
• 6 mm — the standard for rim locks. If your lock body is surface-mounted onto the door, this is most likely the one you need. Let us know when ordering: we will include the 6 mm spindle instead, at no extra charge.
• 8 mm — Switzerland, Belgium, and the rest of the European Union. Please let us know when placing your order. We also check your delivery address: if it is outside France, we adapt automatically so you do not have to worry.

Installation

Each lever handle mounts onto its backplate; both plates are screwed onto either side of the door, and the spindle passes through the lock case to connect them. No new drilling is required if the previous handle was also on a backplate: the long plate covers marks from the previous installation.

These lever handles are unsprung: the lock mechanism returns the lever to the horizontal position. They are therefore inherently compatible with lift-to-lock multi-point locks. Screws and Allen key are included.

Solid brass, cast in Picardy

Gravity-cast in a sand mould, machined, silver-brazed rather than glued, then hand-polished in the Vimeu, the historic heartland of French lock and hardware manufacturing. Made of solid brass: the weight is felt immediately in the hand, distinguishing a cast piece from a hollow light-alloy shell.

Certain finishes are made to order: please allow for lead time if yours is not in stock in the workshop.

Explore our complete range of brass door handles.