When you speak about locksets, talk about the whole lockset, not just the knob.

Because with just a little shopping around, I can create much the same situation with KWICK SET, DEXTER, and WIESER.

You most likely are needing a tubular lockset or latchset. A couple of links are below. If your doors are less than 1-3/8" thick you may have screen door latch/lock.

http://www.vandykes.com/door/c/395/

http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/door-set

Architectural salvage places have them. Pics help to match exactly.

Some are sold in sets, but others as individual pieces. This place has drawers of stuff to pick through:

http://www.thebrassknob.com/catalog/brass-knobs-and-roses/

This post was edited by homebound on Sat, Dec 28, 13 at 19:04

Thanks for the help so far, I guess what I am after here is a latch set, these doors have a separate deadbolt lock.

The components in the http://www.thebrassknob.com/catalog/brass-knobs-and-roses/ link look similar to the style of internal parts in the old set, with a threaded square shaft and the knob (lever on mine) held on by a set screw. In addition to this part I need the latch assembly itself, which I guess from these links would be a type of tube latch.

The problem with the old set is that the square shaft and square hole it goes into in the latch has rounded over time and now will not retract the latch bolt far enough to allow the door to open. Also the set screw threads on the handles have became stripped.

Ike

p.s. the doors are of modern thickness, just don't have conventional latchset holes

Any restoration or salvage place near you that has old door hardware? You could remove your assembly and take it in for matching parts. Sounds like you have a mortise lock. Then again, at 30 years old, you may not have vintage. Look for markings on one of the lesser used sets, especially the face place on the door edge.

Also, google "anatomy of a mortise lock" to identify your parts. Sounds like you just need a spindle (of the same threading, length and diameter). Easiest thing to do is take yours to a vintage hardware place....better yet, take your assembly to a seasoned locksmith and ask for a recommendation.

Since you have identical ones, perhaps using one of those as a pattern would enable a local weldor/craftsman/machinist to repair the faulty one. Brass is easily repaired/built up by brazing.

Thanks for the help, this has given me a start on places to look online and correct terms to search for. We have no good lock smiths in the local area, at least not of the type that would work on something unusual like this, the ones we do have mostly deal in modern commercial locks. As to vintage door hardware, etc. the nearest place I know of is about 250 miles away, having said that I have been looking for an excuse to go shopping there. The lack of markings so far has been part of the problem, the only marking I have found on the old hardware simply said either made in Italy, or just Italy, I plan to look over it again today, measure the spindle diameter, count threads per inch, etc. Maybe I will get lucky and it will be something common, not metric, etc. I may be able to replace the hardware I have and keep the handles by re-tapping the set screw up one size.

Ike.

Where are you located?

Because you have a lot of brass says that their origin is either before or after WWII.

Some of those mfg. during the war were spot welded, while others had screws used in their assembly and are repairable.

I have found, on occasion, that having the interior mechanism exposed and showing it to a machinist and asking if the failed part might be something that is available in his realm, can illicit a response like, "well no but let me see if I can make it".

You see, a lot of machinist, are also tinkerers, and enjoy old hdw. as well as the challenge.

This post was edited by snoonyb on Sun, Dec 29, 13 at 15:07

Pictures are worth 1000 words. Remove the lock set, take a bunch of pictures from different angles with a scale in the picture for reference. Then contact a locksmith or home restoration outfit and email them the pictures.