What is a dummy door handle?

TLDR: A Dummy Handle is decorative handle that is only really used to open or shut a door and does not lock (aka fake handles)*.

Dummy Handles are usually used as decorative door pulls, often found on interior French doors, wardrobes, linen cupboards, or pantry doors. These are mounted to a door simply to give the door a handle to pull open without turning – they don’t actually have any internal working parts.

To allow the door to stay closed you may require a door catch like our T37 – roller catch or a magnet catch like our T-Magnets. Some of our door lever handles may require a Dummy Kit. These are to be placed behind the door lever, this stops the lever from turning or moving. Dummy Door Levers also could be used to make a door look visually appealing and more balanced.

How to install a dummy door handle / knob

The process to install a dummy door handle is simple (the process is the same for dummy knobs):

1. Locate the position of the handle on the door
2. Mark the position of the mounting screws on the handle using a marker pen or similar
3. Pre-drill the holes using an appropriately sized drill bit – ensure that the drilled holes are shorter than the screws which will be used to fix the handle to the door
4. Attach the handle to the door – note: All of our handles come pre-supplied with screws included

*To give a longer and more technical explanation: A ‘Dummy Handle’ is one handle or a pair of handles with no latching or locking function that are also a non-turning door lever or door knob. In other words Dummy Handles & Knobs do not turn to open but rather are used to push or pull a door open or shut.