Decorative Hardware

A mortise lock is a lock that needs a pocket–also called a mortise—to be cut into the door where the lock is to be installed.  In most parts of the world, mortise locks are found on older buildings that were erected before the advent of the more common modern bored cylindrical lock.  Due to the popularity of antiqued-look hardware and home decor accents, mortise locks have become more frequently used in new commercial and high-end residential construction in the United States.
 
Typical mortise lock components include the lock body, the lock trim (which includes the doorknob, lever, handle set and/or door pull), the strike plate or box keep (which lines the hole in the frame into which the bolt fits), and the keyed cylinder, which operates the locking and unlocking function of the lock body.  In England and most other countries, dwelling mortise locks do not usually use cylinders, but include incorporate lever mechanisms.