Brass door handle model "Madeleine" - B166

At a glance

Duckbill door lever handle in Art Deco style, made from solid brass in France. Sold individually, supplied with its spindle, fixings and Allen key. Designed for rim locks, it can also be fitted to a mortice lock with the appropriate roses.

• Material: solid brass, a substantial, heavy piece
• Length: 105 mm
• Spindle supplied: a 7 mm spindle, the French standard for mortice locks. Tell us if you have a rim lock and we will supply a 6 mm spindle at no extra cost
• Door thickness: up to 44 mm
• No return spring: the lock provides the return action, making this lever handle compatible with lift-to-lock mechanisms as standard
• Finishes: from bright gold to anthracite
• Pack contents: one lever handle, for one side of the door. You need two to fit out both sides
• Manufacturer’s warranty: 2 years

The duckbill handle takes its name from its profile: the lever extends from the neck, curves downwards and ends in an upturned tip that your hand closes around naturally. The design remains crisp, without moulding or ornament – the restrained geometry of Art Deco. At 105 mm, the Madeleine is a short lever handle: it does not project far, making its shape clear on a narrow door or one close to a door frame.

Is your door more than 44 mm thick? Write to us before ordering and we will 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 visibly on the wood, or hidden within the thickness of the door?

The rim lock

The metal lock case is screwed onto the face of the door. It is visible and forms part of the design. This is how doors in older houses are fitted, and what this lever handle was originally designed for.

On this 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 bare wood. You can add a rose there – not for its function, but to cover the marks left by an old fixing hole.

In this case, request a 6 mm spindle: it is the standard for rim locks and is not supplied by default. Just add a note to your order.

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 lock faceplate is visible on the door edge. This is how modern doors are fitted, and the 7 mm spindle supplied as standard is suitable for it.

You will then need three components on each side: the lever handle, its rose and a function rose suited to the lock – for a cylinder key, a bedroom key or bathroom or toilet privacy.

The roses that match this model are shown above on this page, under related accessories. Not every rose in the catalogue is compatible with DCG pieces: these have been selected to go together.

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

Choose the finish

One thing to know before choosing a gold tone: untreated brass tarnishes on exposure to air within a few months. Our gold finishes are lacquered to prevent this, so the lever handle retains the shine it had when fitted.

• Gold finishes – Polished gold, also called bright gold: the full shine of brass, protected by lacquer. Matt gold, or satin gold: the same warmth, without the shine.
• Light greys – Polished chrome, the most reflective. Satin nickel, also called brushed nickel, and Lacquered nickel: more muted, and they do not show fingerprints.
• Deep shades – 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 are unsure which of two similar shades to choose, write to us.

Where it comes from

DCG manufactures in the Vimeu area of Picardy, the historic heart of French ironmongery, and has been a family business since 1989. Each piece is gravity-cast in a sand mould, silver-brazed, then polished by hand.