Brass door handle "Nicole" model - B603

The essentials

Nicole door lever handle, with a grooved Art Deco design in solid brass, made in France. Sold individually, with a spindle, fixings and Allen key included. Designed for surface-mounted locks, it can also be fitted to a mortice lock with the matching roses.

• Material: solid brass, a heavy, solid piece
• Length: 110 mm
• Spindle supplied: 7 mm, the French standard for mortice locks. Tell us if you have a surface-mounted 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 both sides
• Manufacturer’s warranty: 2 years

The design comes from parallel grooves cut into the body: a bold Art Deco pattern you can see and feel beneath your palm. At 110 mm, the lever handle is short, offering a compact grip rather than a long lever. The grooves break up the light into bright lines and shadows, and the relief stands out even more with a glossy finish.

Is your door more than 44 mm thick? Write to us before ordering so we can check whether it will fit.

Surface-mounted 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 surface-mounted lock

The metal lock case is screwed onto the face of the door. It remains visible and becomes part of the décor. This is the arrangement found in older homes and the original intended use for this lever handle.

On that side, it mounts 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 its function, but to conceal marks from an old drill hole.

In this case, ask for the 6 mm spindle: it is the standard size for surface-mounted locks and is not supplied by default. Simply leave a note with your order.

You can find all our suitable models among our lever handles for surface-mounted locks.

The mortice lock, also known as a recessed lock

The lock case is recessed into the door: only the faceplate is visible on the door edge. This is the arrangement 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, bedroom keyhole or privacy for a bathroom or toilet.

The roses that match this model are shown above on this page under related accessories. Not every rose in the catalogue fits DCG products: these have been selected to work together.

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

Choosing a finish

One thing to know before choosing a gold finish: bare brass tarnishes when exposed to air over a few months. Our gold finishes are lacquered to prevent this change, so the lever handle retains the shine it had when fitted.

• Gold finishes – Polished gold, also called bright gold, has the clear shine of brass protected by lacquer. Matt gold, or satin gold, has the same warmth without the reflection.
• Light greys – Polished chrome is the most reflective. Satin nickel, also called brushed nickel, and Lacquered nickel are more muted and do not show fingerprints.
• Deep shades – Bronze is darkened brass with warm highlights. Copper is pinker. Brushed chrome has an aged grey appearance. Anthracite, also called matt slate, is almost black and contrasts with 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 Vimeu, Picardy, the historic centre of French hardware manufacturing. It has been a family business since 1989. Each piece is gravity-cast in a sand mould, silver-brazed and polished by hand.