Duck beak brass door lever handle set on round rosette

The essentials

Duckbill lever handle, compact size, in solid brass, made in France: the lever handle comes with its 45 mm round rose. Sold individually, with its spindle, fixings and Allen key. Fitted to its rose, it is ready for a mortice lock; it can also be fitted to a rim lock.

• Material: solid brass, a substantial, weighty piece
• Length: 73 mm
• Rose supplied: round, 45 mm in diameter
• Spindle supplied: a 7 mm spindle, the French standard for mortice locks. Let us know if you have a rim lock and we’ll supply a 6 mm spindle at no extra charge
• Door thickness: up to 44 mm
• No return spring: the return action comes from the lock, making this lever handle compatible with lift-to-lock mechanisms as standard
• Finishes: from bright gold to anthracite
• Pack contents: one lever handle and its round rose, for one side of the door. You need two to fit both sides
• Manufacturer’s warranty: 2 years

The duckbill gets its name from its profile: a straight lever that curves downwards as it narrows, like a beak. At 73 mm, it is compact – your hand wraps around it completely, and the lever handle remains discreet on a narrow door or cupboard door. Its 45 mm diameter round rose is similarly modest: it covers the fixing hole without adding bulk to the silhouette.

Is your door more than 44 mm thick? Write to us before ordering and we’ll check whether it can be fitted.

Rim lock or mortice lock?

This determines what you need to order. Look at your door: is the lock case mounted on the surface of the wood and clearly visible, or hidden within the door’s thickness?

The rim lock

The metal lock case is screwed onto the face of the door. It remains visible and becomes part of the look. This is the fitting used in older houses and the original intended use of this lever handle.

On that side, it fits directly onto the lock case, which already houses the entire mechanism: nothing else is needed. On the other side, it passes through the bare wood. You can add a rose there – not for function, but to conceal marks left by an old hole.

In that case, request the 6 mm spindle: it is the standard for rim locks and is not supplied by default. Just leave a note in the order comments.

You’ll find all our suitable models among our handles for rim locks.

The mortice lock, also known as a recessed lock

The lock case is recessed into the door leaf: only the faceplate is visible on the edge of the door. This is the fitting used on modern doors, and the 7 mm spindle supplied as standard is suitable for it.

You then need three components on each side: the lever handle, its rose and a function rose chosen to suit the lock – cylinder keyhole, traditional keyhole or privacy for a bathroom or toilet. Here, the lever handle and its rose are already supplied together: you only need to choose the function rose.

The roses that match this model are shown higher up this page among the related accessories. Not every rose in the catalogue fits DCG pieces: these have been selected to work together.

Not sure which lock you have? Send us a photo of the door and we’ll tell you what to order.

Choose a finish

One thing to know before choosing a gold finish: bare brass tarnishes on exposure to air within a few months. Our gold finishes are lacquered, preventing this change – the lever handle keeps the shine it had when first fitted.

• Gold tones – Polished gold, also called bright gold: the clear shine of brass, protected by lacquer. Matt gold, or satin gold: the same warmth without the reflection.
• Light greys – Polished chrome, the most reflective. Satin nickel, also called brushed nickel, and Lacquered nickel: more muted finishes that do not show fingerprints.
• Deep tones – Bronze, darkened brass with warm highlights. Copper, with a pinker tone. Brushed chrome, an aged grey. Anthracite, also called matt slate, almost black, for contrast against a light-coloured door.

The difference between satin nickel and brushed chrome is hard to see in a photo. If you’re unsure which of two similar shades to choose, write to us.

Where it comes from

DCG manufactures in Vimeu, Picardy, the historic centre of French hardware manufacturing. It has been a family business since 1989.

Each piece is sand-cast, silver-brazed, then polished by hand.