camillus Posted March 12, 2015 Share #1 Posted March 12, 2015 Hi, I am getting more than a few knives, how do you store your collection thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted March 12, 2015 Share #2 Posted March 12, 2015 I'm not a knife collector per say but I lightly oil my blades with either Rem Oil or break free CLP and store them in their sheaths Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreasureHunter Posted March 12, 2015 Share #3 Posted March 12, 2015 Just a few ideas, big display was $10 at flea market I turned into a display for my favorite knives, the wood box is a vintage silverware set box that holds small pocket knifes perfectly. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayonetman Posted March 12, 2015 Share #4 Posted March 12, 2015 I have several different storage areas depending on what it is. Many of the bayonets are on pegboard on the walls. In most cases I do not keep the scabbards with the bayonets since basically they are all the same. Those on the display are numbered and the scabbards stored in boxes and numbered to the bayonets. Knives are a different story. In most cases the sheath / scabbard is individual to the knife so I try to keep them together. I do not store the knives in their sheaths. If there is oil on the blade it will sooner or later soak into a leather sheath and may stain the leather. Also the leather may hold moisture in humid weather and can possibly cause rust. I admit this is not a problem for most collectors and I do know that many people store theirs in the sheath. If you store your knife in a leather sheath, I suggest using a preservative (I use RIG, there are other good ones) and wiping the blades nearly dry before putting them in the sheath, and checking them regularly. The few that come in a plastic sheath (M8 or the like) should not be taken in and out much as the retaining springs will scratch the finish. Part of the key is where they are stored - in a room that is heated and cooled with the house, or in a poor location such as a basement or attic area. Leather, either grips or sheaths, will dry out or draw moisture and mold. My storage room is a spare bedroom that I can keep pretty much at a neutral situation - circa 70 degrees and medium humidity (neither dry or wet - say about 40-60 percent). Wall display of M9 bayonets on pegboard. I bought a used multi-drawer tool cabinet cheap at a flea market and covered the outside with wood grain contact paper to make it look better in the room. The drawers are lined with a mat material to keep the knives from sliding around inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_mi Posted March 12, 2015 Share #5 Posted March 12, 2015 If you're talking about storing rather than displaying your knives, I use Rubbermaid tubs (30 Gal??) and use old, clean bath towels between layers. I clean knives and sheaths well, and wipe the knives with RIG, then store them next to the sheath. When one layer (usually holds 6 or so knives/sheaths) is full, I lay the remainder of the towel over them and start a new layer. I can get 2-3 layers from a bath towel. These containers stack well. You might want to number the knives, and record the numbers in a database along with a description -- it would be useful for making an insurance claim or when organizing your estate. Just my opinion. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porterkids Posted March 13, 2015 Share #6 Posted March 13, 2015 I use flat files, the shallow drawers that architects and engineers store blueprints in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry K. Posted March 13, 2015 Share #7 Posted March 13, 2015 I usually wax the blades and leave them out of scabbard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camillus Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share #8 Posted March 13, 2015 Thanks you have some good ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1SG_1st_Cav Posted March 13, 2015 Share #9 Posted March 13, 2015 Nice knives! I keep mine in a box in a closet, in the house where I can control the heat and cooling. I keep my blades are dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted March 13, 2015 Share #10 Posted March 13, 2015 I got this tool chest from Harbor Freight. It's low cost, sturdy, looks good, and has decent capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted March 13, 2015 Share #11 Posted March 13, 2015 I got this tool chest from Harbor Freight. It's low cost, sturdy, looks good, and has decent capacity. 100_5143.JPG Man I do love that store Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camillus Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted March 13, 2015 thank for your ideas, can you suggest a better way to store leather sheaths than just trowing them in a box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactroop Posted March 13, 2015 Share #13 Posted March 13, 2015 The previously mentioned points about temperature and humidity apply to preserving leather too. Leather is an organic product. IMHO you really can't restore leather, what your trying to do is slow down it's deterioration. We get encouraged when we see examples of leather that are hundreds of years old and appear great. Personally I've never yet seen a 70 year old piece of leather that doesn't show some signs of it's age. I never consider treating them with their original purpose. They just can't take it anymore and deserve the respect of being maintained for future appreciation. For display I like having the sheath with the knife, not unlike the pictures that bayonetman provided above. With some combinations the sheath can be worth more than the knife it's matched too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BROBS Posted March 13, 2015 Share #14 Posted March 13, 2015 Another decent way is to slip the knives into a cut down gunsock. They can breathe, helps prevent rust, and keeps them from knocking together. As for the sheaths: not really sure on the best way. Maybe thin/long cardboard boxes (like might fit a necklace?) stacked in a tote?? I display all mine either in Riker type displays or display cabinets. I also always use Ren wax at least on the blades. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camillus Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted March 13, 2015 thanks for you suggestions,I know leather is especially touching, I don't want to treat my sheaths but I don't want them deteriorate either but my house is dry, would keping them in a sealed plastic container keep them from drying out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayonetman Posted March 13, 2015 Share #16 Posted March 13, 2015 The main thing with leather is temperature and humidity. If they get too hot or too dry the leather will go bad fairly quickly. Storing them in a hot dry place like an attic can cause damage quickly. Some years ago I bought a WW2 grouping at a house sale and it had been stored in the attic. Everything was pretty good except the .45 holster which was so dry that you could not even open the flap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BROBS Posted March 13, 2015 Share #17 Posted March 13, 2015 You may actually need a humidifier. I use a little temperature station thing I got at Walmart. I try to keep the humidity above 30% at all times and not above 60%. Temp ranges from 66-72 degrees. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doughboy Posted March 14, 2015 Share #18 Posted March 14, 2015 Hi, That's right what BROBS said and it's very important if you have more than one knife.You should remember that you have one secret enemy - rust on Metal parts,verdigris on brass and mildew on leather.All this can occur when the temperature doesn't proper and the humidity is above 60%.Believe me,I had this problem a few month ago and it was not funny.Take care of this and you will have a lot of fun with your collection. doughboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BROBS Posted March 14, 2015 Share #19 Posted March 14, 2015 Yup I have some US knives and bayonets... And more German daggers and bayonets. I keep them all in the collecting room and feel safe about it because of my weather station thing that was less than 10 bucks. If I'm a dry area... You might be surprised how dry it really is humidity-wise. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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