Design story: our sprung handles

We’re always working at making things even better. Function and quality are at the core of our products, so development and refinement are a constant.  

Our door handles were some of the first products we set about engineering.

The knob and lever designs are timeless. And made from solid brass, they feel just as good (and reassuringly weighty) as they look.

But we wanted to go further.  

So, what’s new? 

A wooden door next to a wall light, with a minimalist vase and twig on a dark side table, creating a serene interior scene. Close-up of a wooden door featuring a sleek bronze handle and minimalistic design, emphasizing modern interiors.

On the surface  

To look at, the designs are the same.

The low-profile roses still neatly conceal the fittings for a screwless look; the fine reed detailing remains on the Poplar knob; each works just as well in classic and contemporary homes.

Four stylish bronze cabinet handles displayed against a textured wooden background, showcasing various designs and shapes.

The inner workings  

This is where things have changed.

Firstly, we’ve designed and manufactured our own steel spring to sit inside a cassette in the handle.

Each spring is pre-tensioned to the handle’s weight to give just the right feel when you use it.

Our handles are heavy, and latch springs aren’t always up to the job of returning them to their original position over and over. We wanted to make sure there’d always be enough tension for this to happen – and without any drooping later down the line.  

Even if the spring in your latch is strong enough, manufacturers tend to make the square spindle hole a little larger than necessary. This is to account for any difference in spindle thickness that may occur with different handle styles.

With our sprung handles, the space around the spindle is as small as can be.

You’ll be able to tell the difference straight away from the feel of the handle on the door. It’ll be sturdy, with no slack or wobble.


Close-up of a sleek bronze door knob on a wooden door, featuring a modern design with a round base and straight handle. Close-up of a wooden door edge featuring a bronze doorknob and brass latch, highlighting modern hardware details.

We’ve also reengineered the knobs and levers to be inseparable from the roses and backplates.

That means there’s absolutely no way the handle will ever work its way loose, or worse, come off in your hand.

An elegant bronze door knob set against a white door, featuring a classic design with subtle grooves and a modern panel.

Unsprung and fixed handles 

If you’re completely satisfied with your door’s latch, you can still opt for our unsprung design instead.  

It’ll have the same spindle as the sprung version; it just won’t have the internal mechanism – something that’s less important for knob styles.

There’s our fixed or ‘dummy’ handle option too.

You can push or pull it, but it won’t turn. What it will do, though, is give a cohesive look to doors that don’t need a latching or locking function.

You can explore all the designs in our door furniture collection, including matching hinges, escutcheons, thumbturns and door stops, online here.  

Published on 26th September 2025