Heritage Brass Pocket Door Handles: Flush Pulls, Edge Pulls and Privacy Sets

Supplied by Trade Door Handles, trusted UK supplier of architectural ironmongery since 1976, with quick nationwide delivery.

At Trade Door Handles we offer the full range of Heritage Brass architectural ironmongery products, and one of the most useful parts of that range is often overlooked: pocket door handles. Pocket doors and sliding doors save floor space, but they cannot take an ordinary lever handle because the door has to glide into the wall or past a frame. The answer is a set of recessed, low-profile fittings - flush pulls, edge pulls and privacy locks - designed to sit level with the door.

This guide explains how pocket door handles work, walks through every Heritage Brass and M.Marcus option we stock, and gives the sizes and fitting details you need to choose with confidence. It is written from the experience of our team, who have been supplying joiners, builders and homeowners for nearly 50 years.

Pocket door handles are recessed handles that sit flush with, or inside, the door so nothing catches as the door slides. You will also see them called flush handles for sliding doors, recessed sliding door handles, inset handles or finger pulls. Whatever the name, the principle is the same: your fingers go into the handle rather than around it.

A lever or knob projects around 60mm from the face of the door. On a pocket door it would hit the wall as the door slides away, and on a bypass sliding door it would stop the leaves passing each other. Pocket door handles solve this by keeping everything within the thickness of the door.

• Flush pulls - recessed into each face of the door for sliding it open and closed.
• Edge pull - fitted to the leading edge so the door can be drawn out of the pocket when it is fully open.
• Privacy set or lock - a hook lock with a turn and emergency release, used on bathrooms, en-suites and bedrooms.

Not every door needs all three pocket door handles. A living room pocket door usually needs flush pulls and an edge pull, while a bathroom needs a privacy set. The complete choice is in our pocket door hardware range.

Heritage Brass is the signature brand of M.Marcus, a British hardware company established in 1940. Its pocket door handles and flush pulls are made from solid brass rather than pressed steel, which gives weight, crisp detailing and a finish that lasts. You can browse every model in our Heritage Brass door flush pulls collection, or go straight to a style below.

Round pocket door handles are the easiest to fit because the recess can be cut with a hole saw or router. The C1835 round flush pull has a plain 63mm face, the C1837 round reeded flush pull adds concentric reeded rings, and the larger C1845 half moon flush pull has an 89mm face with a deeper crescent-shaped finger grip. See them side by side in our round flush pulls collection.

Rectangular pocket door handles give a longer grip and a more architectural look. The C1855 rectangular flush pull comes in 105mm, 175mm and 300mm lengths, while the C1865 reeded flush pull shares the same sizes with a fluted inner face. For wardrobes and lighter doors there is the compact C1850 105mm flush pull, and for period homes the C1820 screw fixed flush pull in 4 and 6 inch. All are grouped in our rectangular flush pulls collection.

The C1860 square flush pull pair a 63mm square face with a round finger cup, so it looks crisp but fits a simple 53mm round recess. If you want reeded pocket door handles to match reeded lever handles or knobs, our reeded flush pulls bring both reeded designs together.

Most pocket door handles are designed for lightweight sliding leaves. The C1862 offset flush pull is different, with a deeper 13mm finger access for timber hinged doors, double-action swing doors and heavier sliding doors.

When a pocket door slides fully into the wall, the flush pulls disappear with it. An edge pull completes your pocket door handles, giving you something to grip on the leading edge. The Heritage Brass pocket door edge pulls collection includes three options:

• C1165 flip-out edge pull - a 99 x 20mm plate with a pull that folds out to 42mm when needed.
• RD373 edge pull ring - a minimal 30mm round ring set into a 25mm bore.
• C1874 combined edge and flush pull - wraps around the edge of a 44mm door to act as both at once. See the C1874 combined edge and flush pull.

Bathrooms, en-suites and WCs need pocket door handles that lock. A privacy set combines a sliding door hook lock with flush handles that include a turn on the inside and an emergency release outside, so the door can be opened in an emergency with a coin or screwdriver. Compare every option in our M.Marcus sliding door locks and privacy sets collection.

The C1877 flush pull privacy set uses long 57 x 197mm pulls with a 50mm backset hook lock, for doors 44mm and thicker. The matching C1872 flush pull lets the pocket door handles on every other door in the house share the same profile.

M.Marcus also offers boxed pocket door handles and lock sets made in Italy, supplied with the lock, flush handle set and an edge finger pull. Choose round pocket door privacy sets or square pocket door privacy sets, each with a sliding hook lock (40mm or 50mm backset, doors 35 to 52mm) or a compact tubular lock (50mm backset, doors 38 to 48mm). For non-locking doors, the matching round and square flush pull pairs keep your pocket door handles consistent.

1. Check the door thickness. Lockable pocket door handles and combined edge pulls are made for set thicknesses, commonly 35mm to 52mm.
2. Measure the recess you can cut. Round pocket door handles need a circular recess; rectangular ones need a routed pocket, usually about 10 to 11mm deep.
3. Decide on glue or screw fixing. Most Heritage Brass flush pulls are bonded in with adhesive, while the C1820 is screw fixed.
4. Think about finger access. Heavy or tall doors benefit from larger pocket door handles or a deeper grip.
5. Match the style. Round pulls suit period and soft modern schemes, square and rectangular suit contemporary interiors, and reeded designs match reeded door furniture.
6. Remember the edge pull. Any door that disappears fully into the wall needs one alongside its pocket door handles.

For full routing dimensions, door thicknesses and finish codes, download the M.Marcus Flush Pulls, Pocket Door Privacy Sets and Edge Pulls catalogue (PDF) before you cut the door.

Heritage Brass pocket door handles are offered in up to nine finishes, and the finish code at the end of each product code tells you which you are buying:

• Antique Brass (AT), Satin Brass (SB) and Polished Brass (PB)
• Matt Bronze (MB) for a warm, darker tone
• Satin Nickel (SN) and Polished Nickel (PNF)
• Satin Chrome (SC) and Polished Chrome (PC)
• Matt Black (BKMT or BLK)

The advantage of choosing Heritage Brass is that the same finishes run across lever handles, knobs, cabinet hardware and window furniture. Pick one finish for your pocket door handles and you can match it everywhere from the full Heritage Brass collection and the wider M.Marcus range.

Choosing between types of pocket door handles comes down to how the door moves:

• Flush pulls - the most common pocket door handles, essential for pocket doors and bypass sliding doors, where nothing can project.
• Edge pulls - an addition to flush pulls on doors that slide fully into the wall.
• Surface-mounted pull handles - suit barn-style doors that slide across the face of a wall, but not doors that slide into a pocket.
• Privacy sets - lockable pocket door handles for any room that needs locking.

Compared with low-cost pressed steel pulls, solid brass pocket door handles hold their shape, take a deeper and more even finish, and keep their looks for years of daily use. For tracks, soft-close gear and other fittings, see our sliding door systems and accessories.

Trade Door Handles is part of T.H. Wiggans Ironmongery Ltd, supplying architectural hardware since 1976 - more than just door handles. We now stock over 30,000 products, including a full range of pocket door handles, from leading brands including Heritage Brass, M.Marcus and Carlisle Brass, alongside UK makers such as Samuel Heath, Croft and Kirkpatrick. Our customers include architects, building contractors, joiners, developers, homeowners, hotels, schools and local councils.

Our local team in Kendal and Carlisle can help you choose pocket door handles, check door thickness, recess sizes or finish matching before you order, and we deliver across the UK. Explore our full range of architectural ironmongery, door furniture and locks and latches.