| Several things come to mind when we ponder | | | | you have any doubt. (And who am I talking to |
| displaying a collection of knives. First, knives are | | | | –knife collectors?)scissors –for cutting |
| absolutely beautiful. They want to be seen. Second, | | | | fabricdrill –you got to love those rechargeable |
| they want to be handled. A good system for | | | | ones that come in a case with bits, driver, and |
| displaying knives would allow them displayed as well | | | | sockets includeddrill bit –if you don’t |
| as taken down and handled. The final issue is one of | | | | have a whole set –get one in the neighborhood |
| safety, if a knife is mishandled, it is either going to | | | | of 3/16 and maybe a 1/16 inch twist bittape measure |
| hurt someone, or ruin its edge, or both. | | | | or equivalentframing square –a useful thing but |
| The good news it that knives are roughly the same | | | | you can use a big piece of paper and a straight stick |
| size and shape, -except for pocket knives | | | | as a straight-edge if you don’t have onewire |
| –called ‘folders’ in some circles. If | | | | cutter and pliers or needle-nose pliers with cutter |
| you collect both kinds, how do you display them | | | | MATERIALS:backer board -I go over your options |
| both? I don’t know. Do you display your | | | | below.paddingcover fabricmasking tape –the |
| regular knives and store your folders away in a nice | | | | wide stuff makes life a little easierwood gluepine |
| drawer chest? I don’t know that either. Here | | | | molding for shelves for foldersthings to hang the |
| is what I do know. If you store your collection in | | | | knivescopper wire for safety cotter pinsribbon for |
| drawers, both French Lining Drawers and Adaptable | | | | handles as necessary |
| Drawer Linings are great techniques. One warning, if | | | | #3 Select and cut a backer board. |
| you follow my advice re. French lining your drawers, | | | | First off you need to decide between wood or |
| you must –MUST make absolutely sure that | | | | cardboard. Wood is best but harder to cut. Cardboard |
| the glue you use has COMPLETELY DRIED or you will | | | | is easier to find and cut, but too flimsy for any but |
| have made a wonderful thing to automatically and | | | | the smallest display. My preference is toward 1/8 |
| easily rust your knives. | | | | – ¼" inch hardboard, There is a product |
| But what about the collection that you want to | | | | called Hobby Board that is smooth on both sides. If |
| display rather then tuck away safely? Well, you could | | | | you don’t have a table saw at hand, you can |
| simply leave then scattered artistically on the mantel, | | | | have them cut it for you at the home center store. |
| windowsills, stereo, piano etc., but this is apt to get | | | | Failing this, you can score it with a sharp utility knife |
| them dusty and the issue of safety comes to mind. | | | | (score it several times) and snap it in two. Here are |
| (And truth to tell, I’ve met more then a few | | | | some possibilities for a backer-board". |
| spouses that take the opinion that the marriage | | | | Mat board/ corrugated cardboard / foam-core / |
| might last longer if there were fewer knives on the | | | | what-ever from the art-supply storepretty & |
| windowsill, -but I have no advice for you in this | | | | may colors availablecheap, easy to fabricate into |
| direction.) Putting them on the wall solves some of | | | | shelves for folders etc.easy to cut -the framing store |
| the safety problem –provided you hang them | | | | can cut it to exact dimensionsmall pieces are available |
| correctly. This might be the way to go for the | | | | everywhere –large pieces may require a trip to |
| largest knives and swords, but still leave something | | | | a packaging store |
| to be desired. The best way to go is probably to put | | | | BUTit's flimsy –appropriate for only small |
| them in a display case on the wall. (A display case on | | | | collections of small knives in small cases |
| a flat surface is also a good way to go –just | | | | Door Skin / Hardboard / Peg-Boardrelatively |
| takes up more room.) So here is how to start with a | | | | cheepeasy to cut (score-and-snap may work if you |
| display case –one of mine or any display case | | | | don't have a saw)stronger –appropriate for a |
| for that matter and make your own….. | | | | medium sized collection |
| CUSTOMIZED DISPLAY CASE: | | | | BUTtends to be splintery if not cut correctlyneeds a |
| These ideas are really just SHADOW BOXES taken | | | | drill to be pierced, (not pegboard)peg-board has a |
| just a step farther and adapted specifically to knives. | | | | nice neat grid for hanging things in a well ordered |
| May be worth a review. The following is based on | | | | manner |
| the assumption you have a box shaped display case | | | | Hardwood Plywoodstrongcan be finished as fine |
| at hand that is the right size and shape etc. If you | | | | hardwood |
| are making a shadow box out of a broad collection | | | | BUTdifficult to cutexpensiveneeds a drill to be pierced |
| of interesting but relatively unimportant items, more | | | | Cut your backer board to match the inside of your |
| is more. Pack them in –make it a feast for the | | | | display case. Make it about 1/8 inch smaller then the |
| eyes. On the other hand, if your collection is valuable | | | | inside of the case. If you are skillful in such matters, |
| and important (and perhaps not as interesting), LESS | | | | you might carry the padding and upholstery around |
| is more. A single knife –or a single anything for | | | | the edge. |
| that matter, all by itself in a large case just has more | | | | #4 Drill holes in board per your design. |
| weight. Particularly if you include a simple white | | | | Now it comes time to drill holds into the backer-board |
| card-label listing the important details. | | | | to hang your knives. Arrange your collection on the |
| Here are the steps: | | | | backer board and mark little dots where you will drill |
| Nail down your design. | | | | holes you will attach whatever you have decided to |
| Gather up your tools and materials. | | | | use to attach your knives. You will need to drill 3/16" |
| Select and cut a backer board. | | | | holes -or thereabouts- for the screws you are going |
| Drill holes in board per your design. | | | | use to hold the little block / shelves for your folders. |
| Upholster the board. | | | | You will need to countersink them as well -so the |
| Add shelves for folders and hangers for straight | | | | screws lay flat to the back of the backer board. |
| knives. | | | | Same thing for the bolts that you will use to attach |
| Attach case to wall. | | | | knobs if you are going in this direction. If you are |
| Put it all together. #1 Nail down your design. | | | | using safety cotter pins, you will need to drill two |
| This means arranging your knives appropriately as | | | | rows of little tiny holes for the copper wire. |
| they will show up in the case. Start by measuring the | | | | #5 Upholster the board. |
| INSIDE of your case and draw out a similar rectangle | | | | If there is a woman in your life who does quilting and |
| somewhere. The only tricky bit here is figuring out | | | | such like, your work is half done. If not -take your |
| how you will support or hang your knives. Probably | | | | self off to a fabric store and be humble. If you have |
| need to use a little ingenuity here. (Have a look at | | | | ever marveled at all the varieties of wood a |
| the illustrations in my longer article | | | | craftsman has to choose from, prepare to be |
| Displaying a Knife Collection [ for pictures etc.)The | | | | astounded. There are 10 times as many fabrics to |
| simplest possible solution –particularly if you | | | | choose from. Find a kind soul at the fabric store and |
| collect folders- is to use little brass cup-hooks. the | | | | ask for batting –cotton is best, but Dacron |
| only problem is that when you hang the knife on the | | | | works. Unless your backer board is huge and you |
| hook, it lays on it’s back, rather then | | | | collect broadswords, the thinnest batting will do you |
| it’s more interesting side. Use a pair of pliers to | | | | fine. Then ask her (and it's going to be a her) for |
| bend the tip of the hook up and you can use it | | | | advice in the area of faux leather, suede, ultra suede, |
| sideways. Or use a wooden peg. Or simply make a | | | | or whatever. Do not be tempted to use leather, it's |
| little shelf out of a short piece of wood. Sand it | | | | MUCH harder to work with. Also check out velvet, |
| down a little to round the corners, but don't get | | | | crushed velvet, or even burlap if you collection is |
| carried away. A piece of pine molding will do the job | | | | particularly rustic. Spend a little time seeing what is |
| and is easy to cut and sand. Wrap it in fabric for an | | | | available. Ask her if she thinks you ought to iron it |
| easy PADDED finish. | | | | before you put it down. Stretchy stuff probably |
| So what to do with regular knives -the kind that | | | | doesn't need ironing. (Remarkable, really, that we |
| don't fold up? Especially given that you want be able | | | | have all seen all these fabrics at one time or another |
| to take them down and hold them? There are about | | | | -but -I at least- have never noticed them as possible |
| a hundred ways to do this. First, consider a locking | | | | materials that you could actually make stuff out of. I |
| cotter pin. They look like giant safety pins. A good | | | | think it's an X - Y chromosome thing.) |
| hardware store will have 3 or 4 different sizes. | | | | Back at your work table, cut a piece of the batting |
| Attach them to your backer board by sewing them | | | | to the same size as your backer board You MUST |
| down with some soft copper wire. Once you have | | | | cut the covering fabric about an inch or two bigger |
| the cotter pin attached, you can safely hang your | | | | -in both directions. Now lay the fabric down -pretty |
| knives and yet remove them easily when you want | | | | side DOWN, and lay the batting down in the center. |
| to handle them. If your knives do not have hilts, it is | | | | Lay your board down on top of it, and snip off the |
| still likely that you can find a pin that will support | | | | corners. Then fold the fabric over the back of the |
| them. You may have to bring several home from the | | | | board and attach it. If you are using a thin or soft |
| store, but they are cheap. | | | | backer board, tape the fabric down. If you are using |
| What to do for bigger knives or even swords? Have | | | | something stouter, plywood for example, you can |
| a look at the knobs you can buy for drawer pulls. | | | | use a stapler. Don't worry about stretching it tight. A |
| You can hang your knife from the hilt on nothing | | | | little softness is nice at this point. Being a wood |
| more then two knobs set on either side. Depending | | | | worker, I tend to use carpenter's glue for a lot of |
| on the age and 'rusticness' of your sword -a | | | | things. Glue does a fine job of holding most fabrics to |
| hardwood knob may be just the ticket. And wood | | | | most kinds of board. You have to clamp it down |
| will not damage the edge. For smaller or more | | | | while it dries, of course. This is what the masking |
| delicate knives, little brass knobs may be the ticket. | | | | tape is for. |
| There are about a million styles of knobs in my | | | | #6 Install hangers & shelves. |
| home-center-store to choose from. | | | | Your holes are all drilled through your backer board, |
| Here is a final possibility -one that has the advantage | | | | so you are all done, right? Alas, not so. You still have |
| of a huge variety, but the disadvantage of making it | | | | to go through the fabric. While drilling or poking a thin |
| hard to remove the knife or sword, -and this might | | | | wire through fabric is easy, it's also easy to snag, |
| be a good thing if the blade is valuable enough or | | | | ravel, and otherwise -mess up the surrounding fabric |
| dangerous enough and you have kids. Use a bail type | | | | if you need a bigger hole –like for a bolt. Here |
| drawer pull. Your hardware store has about a million | | | | is what I do. I grab a finish nail with a vice grip and |
| different sizes, styles, and finishes. They are easy to | | | | heat up the nail on the stove. You don't need red hot |
| install -if you are using a reasonably stout | | | | to melt most fabrics. Practice, and if you do it just |
| backer-board. You may have to shorten up the bolts | | | | right, you will not only get a perfect hole, you will |
| that come with the pulls, or just buy a little bag of | | | | melt yourself a nice little grommet around that hole. |
| the appropriate size machine screws while you are | | | | And all with no snags etc. Once the fabric has holes, |
| there. Consider the different styles you hardware | | | | you are all set to bolt, screw, lace, or whatever all |
| store has. For a medieval broadsword, maybe a rustic | | | | your knife-holding hardware into place. |
| Gustav Stickley handle that looks like | | | | #7 Attach case to wall. |
| hand-wrought-iron. Perhaps for an elegant dagger, a | | | | You have to do this part right. If you don't know |
| classic -if ornate- Victorian style would serve. For a | | | | how -find someone who does. (Read my comments |
| modern commando knife, -a simple contemporary | | | | on Hiring Carpenters and Other Useful Things in the |
| polished nickel handle would be best.. Your collection | | | | above if you are just completely un-handy.) A case |
| -it's history and glamor- will dictate the perfect look. | | | | that holds a valuable collection of sharp things must |
| #2 Gather up your tools and materials. | | | | not come down by accident. Wood screws into |
| Do you have unfinished projects sitting around for | | | | studs are ideal. If the studs prove uncooperative, a |
| want of a single doodad you neglected to bring | | | | hollow wall anchor will carry a lot of weight IF it's put |
| home from some store of another? The difference | | | | in correctly. And check out Hanging Things on the |
| between an enjoyable & efficient project and | | | | Wall CORRECTLY for advice in this direction. |
| the incomplete one cluttering up the garage is often | | | | #8 Put it all together. |
| a matter of preparation. A few extra minutes spent | | | | The purpose of going to all the bother of a |
| in preparation for any project is apt to pay off many | | | | backer-board is to hide the screws you used to hang |
| times in the doing of the project. | | | | the case on the wall. So once the case is attached to |
| Your particular list of tools and materials will depend | | | | the wall, you have only to put in the backer board |
| on exactly how you design the whole thing, but this | | | | and hang your knives. Or put the knives on the |
| ought to cover it: | | | | board and then put the board in the case. Don't |
| TOOLS:a saw appropriate for cutting a wood backer | | | | forget the labels. Labels are the perfect finishing |
| boardora utility knife for cutting a cardboard backer | | | | touch. |
| -life is too short to use a dull blade, get a NEW one if | | | | |