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Survey as to how you all store your collection

Howdy Guys,

Well, the furor over Miss Ruth wanting to be my friend seems to have died down. Gn'na miss her (just a little) and the resultant chat (a little more).

But now I need your input. You may know I make drawer and display cases for collectors of every stripe. Where do you all keep you collections?

Bill

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FeaturedPermalink Reply by Craig Henry on June 27, 2013 at 0:16

I have some in knife packs, some in small storage cabinets, and all of my Case knives are in display cabinets.....like these - http://www.iknifecollector.com/forum/topics/easy-knife-display

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Parham on June 27, 2013 at 5:52

Right now mine are in original boxes, rolls, and drawers. My grandson I I will finally begin today to transform a guest bedroom into my knife room. The bed has to stay for guests but there is a bookcase, dresser and ample room tp put a future curio cabinet. We'll start by lining dresser drawers with felt and setting up complete sets and bigger items like Bowies. Finally, a Cuterly Cave of my own.

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on June 27, 2013 at 6:09

Felt lined drawers are great! You can almost always sneak on more into a drawer by snugging knives a little closer!

Chuck Parham said:

Right now mine are in original boxes, rolls, and drawers. My grandson I I will finally begin today to transform a guest bedroom into my knife room. The bed has to stay for guests but there is a bookcase, dresser and ample room tp put a future curio cabinet. We'll start by lining dresser drawers with felt and setting up complete sets and bigger items like Bowies. Finally, a Cuterly Cave of my own.

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Parham on June 27, 2013 at 12:14

Some preliminary work on the Cutlery Cave. Had to do something with them to get them out of boxes and rolls. This is a start but by no means their final place.

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Parham on June 27, 2013 at 12:17

That is great Tobias! You've got some very interesting pieces in there.

Tobias Gibson said:

Felt lined drawers are great! You can almost always sneak on more into a drawer by snugging knives a little closer!

Chuck Parham said:

Right now mine are in original boxes, rolls, and drawers. My grandson I I will finally begin today to transform a guest bedroom into my knife room. The bed has to stay for guests but there is a bookcase, dresser and ample room tp put a future curio cabinet. We'll start by lining dresser drawers with felt and setting up complete sets and bigger items like Bowies. Finally, a Cuterly Cave of my own.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Harvey on June 27, 2013 at 14:51

Hi Guys, Does me' heart good to see such beautiful woodwork surrounding your beautiful knives,. I have noticed some of you mentioning sticking your collection in fabric. And I HAVE to say something. Steel is one thing -but if you have solver or silver plating on your stuff, you need to read my (free) article on Fabric for Collectors. Iz'at...

http://www.home-museum.com/howto/HowToArts/Fabrics/fabric.html

...and for that matter, you will also find an article on displaying knives at...

http://www.home-museum.com/howto/HowToArts/Knives/knives.htm

and

http://www.home-museum.com/howto/HowToArts/Knives2/knives-2.htm

Keep up the good work.

Bill (Honorary not-so-much knife guy and woodworker)

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Permalink Reply by jeff on June 27, 2013 at 15:11

HELLO..i was wondering,..stainless seems to be ok,but,...be very careful with your older case and gec and winchesters,..etc.. because i have found that felt,..and certain materials, even knife rolls, will destroy your carbon steel,..and nickle silver...OUCH!

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on June 27, 2013 at 15:30

Chuck, Thanks for the compliment and right back at you. Your "knife museum" is coming along great. I love that big Bowie as a center piece.

Bill some great advice on the material used. I currently use a blue felt that was used in are archives displays. I also have acid free archival card stock for storage and backing. Even still, I'm constantly checking for damage. You just never can tell.

As for the cup holders and folders, my solution was to add a small key ring to the bale of my knives. It allows the knives to hand shield side and provides a more secure mounting.

My local hardware store has gone through over 150 keyrings in the last year and 200 plus cup holders. (19 ¢ for each keyring and about $6 in cup holders -- Yeah I know almost $30 in key rings!)

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on June 27, 2013 at 15:40

Jeff,

There are some issues with felt. and other materials. They are soft too touch but can be abrasive over time. Another problem with material is dust (both material and the fact that it collects dust. This can lead to grime build up in the joints.

In short items on display are in fact still Items in storage. It is just you can see them more easily. They still need to be properly maintained and cared for. Furthermore, the display should be rotated frequently especially in areas with daylight or artificial lighting, for that matter. Light can fade most handle material. This means you need to give the pile side (the side without the shield) as much exposure as shield side, lest one side of your knife will wind up with a bleached out bone and the other side will remain the original color!

Unless someone is in the room, keep the shade closed and the lights off! There is a reason museums are dimly lit!

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Permalink Reply by jeff on June 27, 2013 at 16:02

thankyou tobias,..i had some old winchesters stored ,..some in wooden drawers,..others in original boxes,..all had been cleaned and oiled 6 to 7 months earlier,..all that were in original boxes,..with red felt lining,..had rust or surface patina..all in drawers were fine...also,..with that in mind,..a friend, owner of a knife distributor,..had sent a message telling me that he had carried quite a few knives in knife rolls, from point a to point b..for a very short time,..as in 2 weeks or so,..and all the knives he had put in the NEW rolls with the red felt..that were supposed to be anti-corrosive...rusted! and was warning about these new rolls...{wish i still had the memo} but you know how that goes...so i was just wondering if anyone else had experienced similar problems?
btw,..i also have found that a dehumidified is the best thing you can do for your collection..all my knives {98 percent } are wrapped in knife paper and stored in original boxes or other boxes.,..but, i am building some oak display cases now.and was wondering what to line the drawers with???
Tobias Gibson said:

Jeff,

There are some issues with felt. and other materials. They are soft too touch but can be abrasive over time. Another problem with material is dust (both material and the fact that it collects dust. This can lead to grime build up in the joints.

In short items on display are in fact still Items in storage. It is just you can see them more easily. They still need to be properly maintained and cared for. Furthermore, the display should be rotated frequently especially in areas with daylight or artificial lighting, for that matter. Light can fade most handle material. This means you need to give the pile side (the side without the shield) as much exposure as shield side, lest one side of your knife will wind up with a bleached out bone and the other side will remain the original color!

Unless someone is in the room, keep the shade closed and the lights off! There is a reason museums are dimly lit!