Topic: Door Knobs

[ardy]

hi aa

I agree it seems strange and I didnt notice the difference until he pointed it out. The handling scratches also give away the outside one.

The idea that it might be 2 parts molded together was my idea not his. I couldnt see how else you would end up with a ridge apart from 2 parts joined at that point. If they wern't so large and weighty and old I wouldnt be so interested but they are attractive and I would like to know something about them if possible.

BTW Chris is a general antique dealer not a glass specialist. He is a good generalist as he has been at it for 30 years but by his own admission and by some of the glass he offers me he doesnt know a huge amount about it.

thanks for your input.

ardy

[aa]

Why would the scratches necessarily be on the outside one? Logic suggests that as many people leave a building as enter.....

[ardy]

Hi aa

I asked the same question and it seems the doors would have been open outwards and on your way out you could just push, with or without the door knob. If you think about it you grasp it in your hand involving your fingers, thus ring scratches, to open it and push it with your palm minus the fingers on the way out.

Interesting but doesnt get us anywhere does it?

[Leni]

it seems the doors would have been open outwards and on your way out you could just push, with or without the door knob. If you think about it you grasp it in your hand involving your fingers, thus ring scratches, to open it and push it with your palm minus the fingers on the way out.

Unless of course the doors opened inwards, when the 'pull' scratches would be on the inner handle?

[aa]

I was thinking that the country and weather might have a bearing as well. If you were wearing gloves when entering, you wouldn't scratch with your rings....

[ardy]

Leni in Australia and I assume in most Western Countries doors to major buildings have to open outwards in case of an emergency.

aa you could be right.

You 2 are amazing! the amount of detail you are interested in. I assume it must go with the job? or is it an obsession?

[Frank]

A lot of concerns about door directions...

Datewise the brass ferrules look like they were specially made and not off the shelf which would support an architect/decorators commission. They could easily be 1950's but 20 years later is not impossible. As the original seller insisted on 1950s perhaps he had some idea of their source. Such things as door furniture were made by many if not most glassworks and very likely close to where they were used. But even if you found the building it is unlikely you would be able to trace the maker.

[ardy]

Thanks Frank I think you are correct and is the place I was getting to. There is too little in terms of detail to define a particular maker and were most probably a one off commision to suit the building. There were many buildings including hotels pulled down in Sydney in the 70's and 80's and these could easily have come from one of these.

Maybe time to give up on these and just enjoy them.

regards

[ardy]

It's nearly 5 years since I first posted these here. I am going to use them as the front door handles on my new house. There are some changes to make, but they should look very handsome on the large door I plan to put them on. So in a few months they will be back as a useful functional lever again.

[johnphilip]

About four summers ago!!!! yes we did have one , I rented an apartment in Rome near the Coliseum you entered into a quadrangle from the street thru a massive door weighing God knows how much , you could only pull it open by a large glass handle there was nothing else to grab hold of but on the way out we always just pushed the door although there was a handle , it just seemed the natural thing to do  Simple as that .... think about it , you need a handle to pull but not to push . jp