Displaying Knives -Part 1: Getting Started. - By: Bill Harvey

Two things come to mind when we ponder displaying a collection of knives. First, knives are absolutely beautiful. They want to be seen. Second, they want to be handled. Do you remember those tests they used to give you back in school? See if you can fill in this analogy....

BEAUTIFUL is to "wants / needs / deserves to be seen"

as

______________ is to "wants / needs / deserves to be handled"

I can’t come up with one. Sensuous? -nope, too sexual. Fondle-licious? Also right up against dirty-minded and besides, it‘s not a word. Whatever word you pick, a good system for displaying knives would allow them displayed as well as taken down and handled.

The final issue is one of safety, if a knife is mishandled, it is either going to hurt someone, or ruin it‘s edge, or both, -and I know collectors that take the view that the later is the greater problem.

The good news it that knives are roughly the same size and shape, -except for pocket knives -called ‘folders’ in some circles. If you collect both kinds, how do you display them both? I don’t know. Do you display your regular knives and store your folders away in a nice drawer chest? Don’t know that either, but here is what I do know. If you store your collection in drawers, Google 'French Lining Drawers' and / or 'Adaptable Drawer Linings' for all the HOW-TO. (One warning, if you follow my advice re. French lining your drawers, you must -MUST make absolutely sure that the glue you use has COMPLETELY DRIED or you will have made a wonderful thing to automatically and easily rust your knives.)

But what about the collection that you want to display rather then tuck away safely? Well, you could simply leave then scattered artistically on the mantel, windowsills, stereo, piano, headboard, etc., but this is apt to get them dusty and the issue of safety comes to mind. (And truth to tell, I’ve met more then a few spouses that take the opinion that the marriage might last longer if there were fewer knives on the windowsill, -but I have no advice for you in the matrimonial direction.) Putting them on the wall solves some of the safety problem -provided you hang them correctly. This might be the way to go for the largest knives and swords, for example the crossed broadswords and battle axes we see over the fireplace in the trendiest of English manorial homes. Perhaps a bit over the top in a suburban living room. No, for our needs, the best way to go is probably to put them in a display case on the wall. A display case on a flat surface is also a good way to go -just takes up more room. So here is how to start with a display case -one of mine or any display case for that matter and make your own.....

CUSTOMIZED DISPLAY CASE:
These ideas are really just SHADOW BOXES taken just a step farther and adapted specifically to knives. May be worth a review if some of what follows is the least little bit confusing. My advice is based on the assumption you have a box shaped display case at hand that is the right size and shape etc. It has a door or removable window of some sort. Goes without saying that you have your knife collection all set, but just a word or two of advice here. If you are making a shadow box out of a broad collection of interesting but relatively unimportant items, more is more. The example from my article on SHADOW BOXES is a child’s summer vacation and such a collection might involve seashells, movie tickets, post cards, dried flowers etc. In short, souvenirs and knickknacks, -NOT collectable knives. With valuable and unique items, less is more. If you find yourself trying to jam your knives into a given box and it’s not working, it’s probably not working because the case is too small, or your collection really needs two boxes, -perhaps one case for WWI knives and another for WWII? If you want your collection to look valuable and professional, LESS is MORE. (If you are wondering if I am simply trying to sell more cases, remember that I suggest that MORE is More for shadow boxes.) So anyway, that said, here are the steps to building your own customized knife display case.

1. Nail down your design.
2. Gather up your tools and materials.
3. Select and cut a backer board.
4. Drill holes in board per your design.
5. Upholster the board.
6. Add shelves for folders and hangers for straight knives.
7. Attach case to wall.
8. Put it all together.

In Displaying Knives -Part 2: The Design Process., we do some design work in preparation to buying the stuff we need and putting it all together.

Arguably knife making is mankind's first art. Beautiful things, knives. So beautiful that they deserve a special display. Here is HOW-TO safely display your knife collection.

Bill Harvey makes drawer and display cases for collectors and museums at Home-Museum.com.
He is also author of the COLLECTOR's HOW-TO series for dedicated collectors and hobbyists who wish to display and protect their very best stuff.