escutcheon

Back plates and Push plates

When is a back plate a push plate? This is an interesting and easy question to answer and the correct answer is whenever the plate is  large enough, wide enough and flat enough to easily push open a hinged swinging door.

Now that we have established the rules it becomes clear that most entry door escutcheons can be used as push plates provided they are ordered for this function.

Hedgerow and Willow

Both collections have 22” high backplates where the decorative component is limited to the outer top and bottom edges leaving a flat unencumbered area of 14” that is more than enough to accommodate the palm of a hand.

We make all of our work to order and tool our back-plates after the plate has been cast. In so doing our back plates can be later machined to create a hole for a cylinder lock or thumb latch or can be left as a flat plate to function as a push-plate.

While both collections have elegant back plates that need no further adornment, we have begun re-imagining both with more whimsical additions.

Ergo minimalism

The simpler backplate is smaller at 12” and while it does not lend itself to whimsy the fact that the entire plate is unencumbered allows it to function well as a more understated push plate. The Ergo collection is available in stainless steel or bronze.

Vine and Bark Back Plates

Both entry plates are adequate in size and in my opinion would work equally well as push plates as while they are extremely textured the filigree does not protrude too far or have any areas that could catch on clothing.

Get to know your entry door hardware up close and personal---backplates

A front door is something we all have in common.  And while the appearance of our entry door hardware varies from building to building, they all have parts in common.  Let's break it down and review the proper terminology and purpose of this very necessary hardware. lizard multi point door lever from Martin Pierce Hardware

Back plate or to some, escutcheon: The plate to which a door handle, be it a lever or knob, is attached, making it possible to open the door. The back plate was often referred to in England and Europe as an escutcheon plate which tends to imply that it is more decorative.  The back plate not only is the mounting for the handle but it also covers up the "guts" of the lock in the door be it a tubular lock or mortise lock.

At Martin Pierce  our back plates are extremely decorative and very stylized.  They are designed to continue the artistic style of the handles.  With our lizard handles shown in the photo we designed a back plate to look like the bark of a tree; our Willow knob uses a circular back plate or rose in the form of overlapping willow leaves; the Hedgerow handle uses a back plate that has fretted sections at the top and bottom that are stylized tree branches.

Willow collection from Martin Pierce Hardware

Hedgerow Collection from Martin Pierce Hardware

Our entire collection of custom architectural hardware for both entry and interior doors can be seen at www.martinpierce.com.