Special Knife Needs a Special Stand - "Update" - Original LaRoche Stand Found!!

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betzner

betzner

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I've had a dilemma with this knife ever since I acquired it from Don Guild. It is one of two knives in particular that, until now, I just couldn't find a really good way of displaying. And I love it, so there is no getting rid of it!

I've figured out what to do with a very special Warenski, and a display case is being made right now for it at Huey Gun Cases. But this LaRoche is so wonderful that I want to see it EVERDAY, but until lately, I never seemed to be able to figure out what to do.

But now I have the idea - a very modernistic, minimalist stand. Something that would almost be unseen. Perhaps a round circle of wire or steel for a bottom, with one or two solid rods rising from the bottom circle, to hold the bottom of the Cobra's neck with some form of minor attachment, where it meets the blade.

This is a special project, because of the design, and because the blade material is by one of the great pioneers of stainless damascus, Friedrich Schneider. The Cobra is bronze, overlaid heavily with silver. The eyes are of hematite. The final product, the stand, needs to almost be unseen, so as not to detract from the knife. Simple, pure design in modernist/minimalist style.

I plan on bringing the knife to Blade, hoping that a few knifemakers who are also forumites might have some suggestions between now and then - to the point I can hand it over to whoever seems to have the best idea for display.

Note: The second image is included to show the balance or pivot point of the knife, as it stands upright. It's exactly at the point where it would fall forward or backward, given the chance.

EDIT: Please understand that I really don't know where else to go with this, so I'm hoping the direction toward a knifemaker is the right one - if not, any direction would be helpful, thanks!

Best,

Bob

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I'd go extremely minimalist, maybe a small ebony floor plate and a simple thin stainless column with a C support at the end to support the neck of the knife. U---------II < turn that upright, and you'll kinda get what I mean, Lol:).
 
I can't "precisely" picture what you mean, but I think I do. It's as if there is almost nothing there for support, yet it has all the support it needs. Yes, EXTREMELY minimalist.

Cool, thanks!

Bob
 
I was just looking at a pic of this knife last night.It is insane,in a good way!Have you given any thought to useing a clear acrylic material?Possibly a few inches high with the blade inserted into a slot much like you have it in the cork.The clear acrylic would allow you to still see the blade.
 
Archer 1 said:
I was just looking at a pic of this knife last night.It is insane,in a good way!Have you given any thought to useing a clear acrylic material?Possibly a few inches high with the blade inserted into a slot much like you have it in the cork.The clear acrylic would allow you to still see the blade.
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I think I would much rather have a very minimalist (for lack of better expression) structure that would be more modernist at the same time. I thought of acrylic, but believe a very thin support structure, with great design quality, would suit it better. Rather not "see through" acrylic. But I think once I am at Blade, it will really become clearer what I need to do.

Thanks!

Bob

EDIT: I think cork is going to enter into this for protection of either the tip or the blade itself, depending on the final design. I am thinking that having a stand where the cork is replaceable - so the tip never suffers - may be the way to go.
 
tltt said:
I'd go extremely minimalist, maybe a small ebony floor plate and a simple thin stainless column with a C support at the end to support the neck of the knife. U---------II < turn that upright, and you'll kinda get what I mean, Lol:).
Click to expand...

I kept looking at the above, and I see what you mean. Strikingly similar to what's in my mind, actually, but with minor design differences.

I just need someone at Blade to take it on as a small project, so will see what happens. But I intend to keep collecting ideas. There are a couple of makers who I would love to see take it on as a small, quick project, but better not name them.

Thanks again,

Bob
 
Les Robertson said:
Hi Bob,

I would look at some type of acrylic necklace stand.
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Thanks, Les. Right now it looks like the best ideas are acrylic or a thin wire/steel rod structure - but still need someone to fabricate it. I think I am going to go the custom route to have it made. I am really glad that, for only the second time, I'm staying in Atlanta for the entire show, so I'll have the time to take it around.

Bob
 
Bob,

That is a fantastic knife, and I'd like to throw my two cents in. I believe the stand should be highly polished wood, a rich hued wood such as amboyna; the support itself could be a nicely curved stainless wire. But....

When I just viewed this knife, I immediately thought of a solid, carved piece of amboyna-something that would be a work of art in it's own right-something a master woodcarver would do.So, for whatever it's worth, those are my thoughts...let me see what you finally come up with.

Dave

P.S. If the artist/maker is alive, why not ask him to do the stand? That way, you have his final, completed vision.
 
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David Stifle said:
Bob,

That is a fantastic knife, and I'd like to throw my two cents in. I believe the stand should be highly polished wood, a rich hued wood such as amboyna; the support itself could be a nicely curved stainless wire. But....

When I just viewed this knife, I immediately thought of a solid, carved piece of amboyna-something that would be a work of art in it's own right-something a master woodcarver would do.So, for whatever it's worth, those are my thoughts...let me see what you finally come up with.

Dave
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Dave, thanks for the input. When I first acquired the knife, my initial thought was to go all out on a solid wood, carved figure of a mongoose as the base of a stand - and incorporate some positioning of a mongoose-cobra fight. And that's rather what you are suggesting, because for what I would have wanted, it would have taken a master carver to do it.

But I strayed toward a minimalist thin steel strut design much like tltt's suggestion at the start. I know when I get to Blade with the knife, I still won't have this worked out, but someone is going to solve it, probably not me, because while I appreciate art and have an eye for it, I can't translate it to drawing - I just now it when I see it.

Thanks again,

Bob
 
I like the minimalist approach as well.

One method may be to have a wide bronze (or silver?) base and a smaller tapered wooden block with a tight-fitting slot to capture just 1-2" of the tip. Balanced at the precise angle there would be minimal pressure on the blade, and it would be able to grasp and draw out easily. No need for another support to get in the visuals?

Ask Tai. ;)

Blade? I hope to meet you this time. :)

Coop
 
SharpByCoop said:
I like the minimalist approach as well.

One method may be to have a wide bronze (or silver?) base and a smaller tapered wooden block with a tight-fitting slot to capture just 1-2" of the tip. Balanced at the precise angle there would be minimal pressure on the blade, and it would be able to grasp and draw out easily. No need for another support to get in the visuals?

Ask Tai. ;)

Blade? I hope to meet you this time. :)

Coop
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Thanks, Coop - I hear ya about Tai. In fact, I will be asking about everyone I bump into at Blade. See ya there, and will probably have two or three with me for imaging, perhaps.

Best,

Bob
 
Bob, what about a wooden base with a steel rod sticking up with a two pronged fork at the top which would secure the knife at the base of the cobra, maybe a slit in the wooden base for the point.
 
Serge Panchenko said:
Bob, what about a wooden base with a steel rod sticking up with a two pronged fork at the top which would secure the knife at the base of the cobra, maybe a slit in the wooden base for the point.
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Serge, that is one of the few descriptions I can actually visualize very easily. I am thinking that a small pad of cork could be fit into the wooden base, for the tip of the blade to rest on and perhaps be slightly driven into. The cork could be changed out as it wore.

Rather than a two pronged fork, maybe a "U" could be welded or soldered, to provide a better fit, with some felt padding so as not to scratch the base of the cobra.

But we are on the same wavelength. The steel rod would either rise from the wooden base, as you mentioned, or be attached to a steel rod framework base of some sort. I just tend to visualize a very minimal base, which leads me toward a steel rod frame base rather than a wooden base.

Will you be at Blade?

Bob
 
Serge Panchenko said:
Not this year. We hope to make it to the next years show.
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Serge, thanks for the suggestions. I will more than likely try to get something fabricated quickly at the time I am at Blade. If not, I will contact you afterward about it if my plans have still not gotten anywhere.

Best,

Bob
 
A mirror?
Or two put together at right angles with the knife in the corner so the reflections would be of the knife and not the viewer?
 
Bob, I had several custom display stands build for me by Roger Cash. He is very skilled and a pleasure to work with. When I'm back home I will try to find his email address and forward it to you.

Marcel
 
This knife is so exquisite...

What about a whisper thin metal stand that coiled around to creat a base, where the spiral met itself it enclosed a circle of replaceable cork for the tip to rest on and rose straight up the back to end it a 'U' with slightly upturned arms that cradled under the flares of the cobra so no bumping of a desk could threaten it's balance...kinda like a delicate guitar stand. Maybe you could slot the arms and insert a tiny roll of black velvet to protect where it met the neck? Here's a very bad picture of the idea...I'm terrible at drawing on computers:(

-Haley
 

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