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Mortice door knobs: what to settle before the finish

Updated: October 2026

You are standing in front of an internal timber door whose round knob has gone loose, and the polished pair in the photo is the one you want. Mortice door knobs only work if the latch, the spindle and the backset already match that door. The finish is the last decision, and choosing it first is what sends sets back. This page is the order: set type, what is in the box, the bar through the latch, then spring, grip and the front-door limit. Prices for the eleven amazon.co.uk listings are on the [doorknob comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/doorknob). Peter F. checked those listings in October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are standing in front of an internal timber door whose round knob has gone loose, and the polished pair in the photo is the one you want.

Our top picks

CML Hardware CML keyed entry ball set

Best overall

CML Hardware CML keyed entry ball set
8.0/10about £7.90
View offer
HANDLESTORE Handlestore polished chrome sprung pair

Rank 2

HANDLESTORE Handlestore polished chrome sprung pair
8.6/10about £10.99
View offer
Sterling Sterling SRL8BK black rim pair

Best value

Sterling Sterling SRL8BK black rim pair
8.2/10about £6.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the door, not the finish
  2. 2.What the box must contain
  3. 3.Spindle, backset, and spring
  4. 4.Finish, grip, and the front door

Start with the door, not the finish

Look at the door before you look at the chrome. A mortice pair is two roses and a spindle that turns a latch already buried in the edge. You see a narrow plate on the closing edge and a hole where the spindle comes through. A rim pair is different furniture: the lock case sits on the face, and one rose is usually left off because the case takes its place. A passage set latches, a keyed set locks, and a dummy does not turn. A Victorian hallway can be either, so the moulding does not tell you. If a lock case stands proud of the face, the mortice or rim doorknob page stays on that fork. If the only metal on the edge is a latch plate, mortice door knobs are the family you are buying.

What the box must contain

Many mortice pairs supply knobs, a spindle and screws, and they assume the latch still works. The polished chrome pair, the mushroom knobs and both solid-brass pairs are in that group. The bullets name furniture. They do not name a latch. If the old latch is dead, the new knobs will turn and the door will still not stay shut. The black rim pair is furniture for a rim lock or rim sashlock already on the door. Round roses do not turn it into a mortice pair. A keyed ball set does include an adjustable latch and three keys, for doors the listing puts at 35–45 mm. One black round set is the pause: the title says keyless passage, and the lock-type field says key lock. Until the box settles that, you do not know whether you bought a latch or a lock. The like-for-like sequence is on the how to fit mortice door knobs page.
CML Hardware CML keyed entry ball set

Testsieger

CML Hardware CML keyed entry ball set
8.0/10about £7.90
View offer

Spindle, backset, and spring

UK door furniture is commonly made for an 8 mm square spindle. The Victorian brass pair prints the spindle as 125 × 8 mm. The rim listing does not print 7 mm or 8 mm. Mushroom-knob reviews describe a bar slightly too thick, so buyers filed it. Backset is the distance from the door edge to the centre of the spindle, not the case length sold as 2½ inch or 3 inch. More Handles treats about 57 mm as a practical minimum for a round knob, because your knuckles need clearance a lever does not. A short latch often leaves your hand on the architrave. Measure the old latch before you order. A sprung knob returns itself. Two strong knob springs plus a sprung latch can stop a child or a weak grip. If that person cannot turn a sample with one hand, a lever is the kinder buy. BS 8300 advises against spherical knobs, and Approved Document M, where it applies, uses a closed-fist lever as the example.

Finish, grip, and the front door

Polished chrome and satin nickel belong indoors. Solid brass is the period-door finish, and it still needs the latch you already have. Suitable for exterior on a brass pair is a corrosion sentence, not a lock rating. None of these listings prints a BS EN 1906 furniture code. A keyed ball knob is a light entry set. The keyed listing prints ANSI Grade 3, a US grade, with a latch and three keys at about £7.90. It does not show BS 3621, which Approved Document Q cites for locks on new dwelling doors in England. A child, a weak grip, or a final exit is a reason to choose a lever and a certified lock on that leaf. When the set type, the spindle and the backset agree with the door, the comparison table is where you pick the finish.

Common questions

Do mortice knobs come with a latch?
Often they do not. The chrome, mushroom and solid-brass mortice pairs here name knobs, a spindle and screws. Buy a latch separately if the one in the door is broken. The keyed sets name a latch. A dummy does not.
Why is a short latch awkward with a round knob?
Backset runs from the edge of the door to the centre of the spindle. A round knob sticks out further than a lever, so a short backset puts your knuckles on the frame. More Handles uses about 57 mm as a minimum for knobs. Measure the old latch rather than trusting the inch size printed on the case.
When is a dummy the right buy?
A dummy is right when the door already stays shut and you only need a pull on one face. The satin nickel listing here does not turn and has no latch. It is the wrong box when the door must catch.
Can a keyed ball knob stand in for a BS 3621 lock?
Nothing in this comparison shows BS 3621. A keyed knob with an ANSI grade is a light set for a shed, a storeroom or an internal door. A policy or a new-build doorset that asks for a Kitemarked lock is asking for the lock, which is a different product.
What should I measure before I order?
Door thickness, backset from the edge to the spindle centre, the spindle size in the latch, which face carries a lock case, and whether the door is a fire door or the final exit. Write those down before you choose chrome, brass or black.

Related pages

Bathroom and privacy doorknob

Doorknob

Best door knobs UK: which listing fits which doors

How to fit mortice door knobs onto a UK timber door

Mortice or rim door knobs: which pair the door takes

Sources

Public UK and manufacturer sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this comparison. None of these knobs is treated as BS 3621, BS 8621 or Secured by Design.

  1. BSI, BS EN 1906:2012 (retrieved October 2026)
  2. HOPPE UK: BS EN 1906 (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Approved Document M, Volume 2 (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Approved Document Q, 2015 (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, accessibility guide (2021) (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Secured by Design: doors, front and back (retrieved October 2026)
  7. More Handles, tubular latch guide (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Suffolk Latch Company: door knobs with locks (retrieved October 2026)