[caption id="attachment_1445" align="alignright" width="162"] One of our standard style brass door knockers[/caption]
In a previous Blog post I paid tribute to the humble electric doorbell. Perhaps even humbler still is the traditional door knocker.
It is thought that door knockers have existed as long as doors have and if you take some time to browse the Internet than you'll see literally thousands of designs. Most commonly supplied in brass, chrome, black and bronze finishes, there are a great many styles to choose from. They range from the ornate to the funny and indeed they stretch the boundaries of what we might call decent. There are certainly some designs that I would not be happy to display on my front door. On the other hand, there are some amazing designs which would enhance the look of any new wooden door.
For me, I think door knockers work best with wooden doors, although they can of course be added to other door types but somehow, to me, it just doesn't look right.
Even though the doorbell is probably seen as progress when it comes to alerting homeowners to the fact that they have a guest, I think that a gleaming metal knocker on a brand new timber shiny painted door is a real statement of quality and class.
Doors that make an impression tend to be strong and solid in construction. The white uPVC doors with a doorbell positioned on the wall to one side are not really in the same league. A centrally placed solid metal door knocker is the perfect finishing touch to an elegant front door. See the great quality of Kershaws new external door styles like the Oak Contemporary Mega or the Riverside with traditional features, both available as solid or glazed.