Looking for a tasteful way to display swords

[kuntawguro]

I have over 100 swords and i hate to keep them in boxes and under my bed- looking for a way to display them besides the usual sword stands.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t270/avengergt/DSC01141.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/avengergt/bolos.jpg

any ideas guys? gals?

 

[Bigshadow]

Build an armoury on your house!

 

[tellner]

Try a fan-shaped display. It will have a few rows and look something like a peacock's tail made of steel. Hilts pointing out. You can pack a lot of swords onto one wall, and the effect is visually impressive.

 

[HKphooey]

Try a fan-shaped display. It will have a few rows and look something like a peacock's tail made of steel. Hilts pointing out. You can pack a lot of swords onto one wall, and the effect is visually impressive.

I have seen something like that....

 

[HKphooey]

Also...

 

[HKphooey]

Lastly, (I will try to get the person to take a photo for me) I built one for a friend. I will try to explain this ...

I built multiple (4"W x 6"D) pillars, against the wall, from the floor to the ceiling, out of red oak. It basically had diagonal slots going all the way through (made it out of two boards, one side was routered and then glued and nailed to the other piece). The the swords were inserted (facing downward) into the the slots. We were able to get about 15-20 swords in each pillar.

Hope that made sense, but I will try to also get a photo.

 

[Flying Crane]

honestly, i keep mine in the closet. I just don't like the idea that they are out in the open. If someone breaks in, they might be a target for theft. If I ever have a home intrusion, I would hate to have the intruder grab one and try to use it on me. Even if we ever have a party with a lot of people over (a very rare thing for us), I don't like the idea of some idiot friend of a friend who tagged along to the party, and thinks it would be cool to take one down and start swinging it about. Keep 'em out of sight and out of reach of anyone but yourself.

 

[kuntawguro]

Lastly, (I will try to get the person to take a photo for me) I built one for a friend. I will try to explain this ...

I built multiple (4"W x 6"D) pillars, against the wall, from the floor to the ceiling, out of red oak. It basically had diagonal slots going all the way through (made it out of two boards, one side was routered and then glued and nailed to the other piece). The the swords were inserted (facing downward) into the the slots. We were able to get about 15-20 swords in each pillar.

Hope that made sense, but I will try to also get a photo.

I must be mentally chalenged- I can't visualize it

 

[kuntawguro]

Try a fan-shaped display. It will have a few rows and look something like a peacock's tail made of steel. Hilts pointing out. You can pack a lot of swords onto one wall, and the effect is visually impressive.

Todd- do you have a picture?
I am mentally not there today

 

[Kenzan]

honestly, i keep mine in the closet. I just don't like the idea that they are out in the open. If someone breaks in, they might be a target for theft. If I ever have a home intrusion, I would hate to have the intruder grab one and try to use it on me. Even if we ever have a party with a lot of people over (a very rare thing for us), I don't like the idea of some idiot friend of a friend who tagged along to the party, and thinks it would be cool to take one down and start swinging it about. Keep 'em out of sight and out of reach of anyone but yourself.

I think this is spot on.
I used to collect swords extensively until the '94 Northridge Earthquake here in Ca. I had several art pieces, including a few from the Original 1938 Robin Hood Movie with Errol Flynn and other movies.
The collection was pretty much priceless, and like a fool, I hung them in various fashions around my home. My house had been broken into about 3 times since I had moved there, and yup, you guessed it, they took only the "cool" looking swords- (And Cokes and sandwich fixings for some reason) anyway, after the earthquake, the building I lived in was red-tagged, an I was forced to relocate temporarily.

I came back 2 weeks later, and every sword I had owned was looted. So not only had I lost my precious collection, but now I had allowed large, extremely sharp instruments to be distributed to the local criminal underground. Way to go me! Note: The locked strongbox I had in my closet which was *not* stolen could have easily held most of my collection, but I wanted to go the "Hey look at me I'm cool with my swords on my wall" look, and I paid the price.
Just my 3 cents.

 

[kuntawguro]

I suppose that would be a concern if I lived ina city. I live out in the sticks. My cars sit in the drive with the keys in the ignitions, my house is never locked, my neighbors watch each other's property. It is not uncommon to get a call at work saying- "UPS just delivered a package at your house. Or there was a grey olds cutlass in your drive for 1/2 hour, i have the licsense plate number if you need it.
So, I would rather be able to see those things i searched for, ran down bartered for, and traded for out in the open.

 

[HKphooey]

I must be mentally chalenged- I can't visualize it

Very quick mock up...

Think a few pillars, many swords, floor to ceiling.

 

[tellner]

Todd- do you have a picture?
I am mentally not there today

'Fraid not. We don't have a setup like that. But we've seen them a few times at the Oregon Knife Collectors' Show. A few of the SE Asian blade afficionados have had them. The pictures HKphooey posted are modest versions. The one he posted in the message just before this one bothers me a bit. It seems like several accidents waiting to happen.

 

[Sukerkin]

I think for the majority of us, Flying Crane and Kenzan have the best advice on this one.

However, if you want to display a lot of swords aesthetically, then the fan array is the best way to go (assuming that you can't afford lockable, armoured-glass, display cases (sorry, my old curator days showing through there )).

 

[kuntawguro]

My house is a martial arts house- i don't care to hide all my stuff- that's why I have a house- to showcase "My stuff"

 

[Sukerkin]

Not criticising, my friend, just expressing my opinions. We have wallhanger racks all over the place in our house but the 'real' stuff is in the bedroom (at hand but out of sight). I'm not paranoid but I don't want to get stuck with my own sword either.

 

[Charles Mahan]

I have a two sword wall rack in the front room of my house. It almost never has swords in it though as my swords are constantly migrating to and from the dojo. I have found that it makes a decent place to hang my keikogi and hakama occasionally.

 

[Carol]

I remember being absolutely fascinated with old displays of swords, and how the armaments were often criss-crossed on the walls.

This isn't Asian, it is British, but maybe something like this would work?

 

[kuntawguro]

I remember being absolutely fascinated with old displays of swords, and how the armaments were often criss-crossed on the walls.

This isn't Asian, it is British, but maybe something like this would work?

Carol- that is nice looking. Hmm, wonder how it would work with short swords