How to get that authentic Victorian lock set on the cheap!

After work was complete on the 2nd floor and the doors were hung I needed knobs and lock sets, but I HATE the modern lock sets.  Mortise lock sets all the way for me baby! So I first knew that I had some of the old hardware from the house.  I had lots of the old porcelain black knobs and key plates but what was I going to do about the lock?  I thought about buying old locks and then having them keyed so I had keys for the rooms.  This task however proved to be cost ineffective.  While looking around on the Internet I stumbled upon a website that sold old inspired mortised locks!  Check out www.vandykes.com .

If you’re looking for original antique versions of these, I’ve seen some great examples available here:

👉 View antique mortise lock sets on eBay

  For only $30.00 each I got the locket, keys and a beautiful strike plate. *UPDATE, since the writing of this post in 2018, prices have gone up a bit and now I see they are listed at around $70.00, but still an OK deal I think.   By purchasing new lock sets but using the existing knobs I had as well as the key plates I feel it was able to achieve a really authentic look for a good price and be completely functional!  Best part was since I put these locks on the entire 2nd floor the same key works for all locks!  What do you think of how it turned out?

Here are the other examples they sell.   Not a bad deal in my mind.  You would pay a fortune for old lock sets like these.  If you’re actively looking for pieces like this, it’s worth checking current listings regularly, as they tend to come and go quickly. I like to source antiques where I can, but Vandykes is a good source too:

👉 Browse current antique locksets on eBay