Knife displays

[Joss]

All,

I'd like to start a discussion about how best to display knives, and the solutions we each have developed.

Personally, I have tried several solutions:

First, I displayed my best pieces on the top of furniture. Most those pieces came with a stand (they're Fogg knives, and he ships his knives with nifty little stands nowadays). Some others were displayed flat. Unfortunately, what happened is that over time some dust would fall on the blade and humidity would condensate on those spots and stain the blades.

I now have a great little curio cabinet with glass doors and sides. It works well, but how nice it looks is directly proportional to how uncluttered it is (i.e., if I have too many knives in it, it doesn't look as good). Also, it has a couple lights at the top, but the lights don't reach down due to the number of wood stands (plus, I worry that the lights might increase the temperature to such an extent that some handle materials would suffer).

What do you guys do?

Thanks.

 

[RogerP]

I had a real nice custom cherry wood glass top display case built for my knives some time ago. The problem is, it only holds about 6 or 7 bowies without overcrowding. As recent spousal negotiations have resulted in ALL my knives being safely locked away and out of reach of our 4 year old, that is no longer a problem.

My friend Murray has about a bazillion knives displayed throughout his museum-I-mean-home. He uses these little plastic triangular-looking stands to prop up the knives and it looks great - you tend to see the knife and not the stand. He has experienced the atmospheric spotting that you have mentioned, though.

He also has a couple wood / plastic single-knife stands like the one pictured below:

Roger

 

[Chefget]

Kids...Safe


-Michael

 

[barrabas74]

I keep my folders in hanging padded displays, but sadly I keep my fixed blades in a cabinet behind doors.

 

[HTMD]

Here's what I plan to do. I have the lumber and other supplies already, have located a source for the rare earth magnets just up the road in Ft. Collins and now need to make time to git 'er dun.

The picture is from the Arkansas History Museum very near where the annual AKA Little Rock Show is held. The blade collection there is a must see! They explained to me their use of the rare earth magnet discs routed into each 2X4 and covered with felt. Each magnet will hold approximately 20 lbs though you can buy different sizes and strengths.

Mine will be less than 6" deep and vertical, wall-mounted, low-voltage lighting and a locking front 'plexiglass' door. Actually I plan two 4X6' matching units. This design is totally adaptable based on need and could even be recessed into an interior wall and covered with a painting or wall hanging of some sort.

I have not found a better or more efficient display design anywhere.

 

[Joss]

Buddy,

This is a great solution...

Cool blades there. The 4th from bottom, left side of the screen, looks very familiar. I think it's an early Don Fogg bowie w/ a damascus blade I bought from someone recently (which would obviously mean it's not there anymore... )

 

[HTMD]

Joss - Yes, I took this pic over a year ago and the knives, ABS JS and MS blades are on loan to the museum in two year increments, do rotate. What a great bowie you have there! I distinctly remember it from my visits to the museum - a very fine piece of work.

Here's a closer look at the display:

 

[2knife]

Buddy, Wow!! Thanks for the photos of that collection. Nice looking stuff! Inventive way to do it.
Maybe a silly question, but does it magnetize the knives in any way?

I've made *only* a few small display cabinets out of materials I find. So far, three. The best I have done employs a vintage Model T windshield, old bed slats, & other vintage screws, hinges... It rests on a credenza made from the entrance of an old barn and parts from a wrought-iron ballester.

The one I'm working on now, is made from many different pieces that comes together like a puzzle. So far, it has a primative frame for the front, a disassembled religious Icon display for the top, an old foundry mold for the bottom, and an old pine writing board/desk as the back. It also has a small child buggy seat approx. 100 yrs old that folds up and fits inside of it, where I will display the knives. Using the old parts is fun and adds a very unique/ rustic look, which go very well with the knives that I love. (Sheephorn knives from Wyoming.)

Roger, I'll second that opinion about that lovely bowie! Isn't that the one Rehoboth had for sale recently.. Looked like a great deal.
David

 

[Jagged]

I have a glass topped, felt lined, six drawer display case in my office that staff bought me for Christmas last year. They paid quite a bit for it. I wouldn't have. Oh well...

I'm very impressed with the rare earth magnet idea. That could make a display work. In fact, I may have to try that. Great idea!

 

[Doug C]

Joss,
Great thread!

Buddy,
pics!

R.E. magnets sound like just the ticket. :thumbup:
Now for the research,neodymium(sp.)magnets are only kind I know at present.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[David Schott]

Dont use the magnets. Im amazed that museum does. I have some very strong rare earths that i used to use while grinding. They will permanently make your blade magetic. If you don believe me, try it. I still have two knives that will pick up paper clips I kid you not. This means evey spec of iron in soil or anything in the air will stick to the blade. You'd need to fully degauss those blades if you didnt like that...just wanted to put my .02....

For those into magnets, mine were custom made for a sience experiment. 1.5" neodymium spheres. Approx 9800 gauss at the poles. Ive yet to meet anyone who can exert the 200+ pounds of force required to separate them. They must be pried apart with something nonmagnetic. If they snap together on your hand, you will break a bone! Fun toys, though!

 

[canineforge]

I have been thinking about designing/building a wide, horizontal oak holder that would work for display and/or storage in a safe for space purposes. Knives don't lay very well, unless there is a lot of room.
Has anyone seen a slotted wooden display such as this? Vertical storage of fixed blades in a horizontal holder would be compact...and, I think, worthy of display. The length of the legs will have to vary for hunters vs. bowies, though.
Any thoughts on this?

 

[HTMD]

Dont use the magnets. They will permanently make your blade magetic.

Sounds like this would be of concern. I admit I don't know enough about it to say one way or another for sure. Could be some types or strengths of magnets should be avoided.

Joss - Your Fogg bowie that was in the museum - does it show any evidence of being magnetized?

Also, magnets are often used in sheaths for blade retention. I have not heard of any problems with that practice but I suppose there could be.

A forum search here or elsewhere might turn up more information. I'm not sure that, as regards 'presentation grade' knives that will never be used, whether I would care if the blades became magnetized or not. I'm going to clean them after handling and before returning them to the display case anyway.

 

[Frank-H]

"Ive yet to meet anyone who can exert the 200+ pounds of force required to separate them."

David it sounds like your rare earth magnets were substantially more powerful than the museums (which sound like they were designed to sustain maybe 20 lbs). Maybe that's why you had the substantial magnetization, maybe the museum's display doesn't cause the same lingering effect.

In that it's a rotating 2 year loan of knives, you'd think they'd get a complaint if it caused a real issue with the knives (at that magnetic strength).

Frank H.

 

[Valiant1]

... but can I assume the magnetic stand won't work for Talonite/Stellite?

 

[David Schott]

Not sure on the above questions. I have found that if you leave a magnet attached to anything for any period of time, it will start picking up metal dust from everywhere. it could be that because im a maker, i have alot more metal dust in my house than normal people, haha!

 

[Wulf]

Now that David mentions it, I've had the same experience with magnets. All my vise-grips, for example, pick up steel dust after having been left on a welding table that had welding magnets on it. It doesn't take a strong magnetic charge to pick up steel dust, however...

Buddy, I noticed your Perry bowie is in that display as well. I've felt kind of a magnetic pull from that knife from the first time I ever saw it, although I admit it's an entirely different kind of attraction

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

Though not too fancy this is how I display my small folders and one miniature (It is from a Christmas bathroom set that my girlfriend got and did not want)

And this is how my pocket folders and neck knives are kept in my bedroom (all cluttered up- I will be adding another section soon)

(Don't know why it is not turned in the right orientation like it shows on photobucket)
I would like to put all of my other knives in a fold out gun case idea but have neither the funds for it nor the design finished.

 

[Doug C]

Here's what I plan to do. I have the lumber and other supplies already, have located a source for the rare earth magnets just up the road in Ft. Collins and now need to make time to git 'er dun.

The picture is from the Arkansas History Museum very near where the annual AKA Little Rock Show is held. The blade collection there is a must see! They explained to me their use of the rare earth magnet discs routed into each 2X4 and covered with felt. Each magnet will hold approximately 20 lbs though you can buy different sizes and strengths.

Mine will be less than 6" deep and vertical, wall-mounted, low-voltage lighting and a locking front 'plexiglass' door. Actually I plan two 4X6' matching units. This design is totally adaptable based on need and could even be recessed into an interior wall and covered with a painting or wall hanging of some sort.

I have not found a better or more efficient display design anywhere.

Is the top knife in first display(left),a Fowler?

 

[HTMD]

I spoke with my contact at the museum and he said they'd never had a complaint. He agreed it made sense the magnets might affect the blades somewhat but also felt they could be easily 'degaussed' with a pass or two of those small degaussing units. In fact I remember having to degauss tape heads with a hand-held battery powered unit in the old days before digital music recording - piece 'o cake. I'm still looking for some more info and will report back.

In the meantime I received this image from a gentleman who preferred to be identified simply by his web site ( www.dknifeplace.com ). This is his display and I think it's a pretty cool idea. The blade tips are wedged into cork - simple and effective.