Since inception early in the world's history, the doorknocker has evolved from merely a functional component of the home to a decorative element with essential characteristics crucial to architectural style. The history of doorknockers is in essence unwritten, and little is known concerning the makers who rarely marked their work.

Iron was the first material used in the construction of knockers. Simple wrought iron knockers with a ring and plate were used in the 17th and 18th centuries in America, England and in various countries of continental Europe. Cast-iron doorknockers were introduced later fallow by brass, which became the medium of choice for doorknocker fabrication and has remained the principal knocker material,

Doorknockers remained in favor until the middle of the nineteenth century, when architectural styles began to shift and the development of the electric doorbell rendered the doorknocker obsolete. However due to the exceptional aesthetic value and architectural significance imparted, it is unlikely that the doorknocker will ever disappear.

The variety of doorknocker design, the various artistic shapes to which they can be adapted, and their decorative qualities, make doorknockers particularly valuable and highly coveted among collectors and consumers alike.