Sword Displays?

[Cavalier]

@redbob @bobinwmass @bayonet James N. Your collections look more impressive then a lot museums I have seen. Congratulations!

John

 

[redbob]

@redbob @bobinwmass @bayonet James N. Your collections look more impressive then a lot museums I have seen. Congratulations!

John

Thank you, but mine was more a matter of self preservation as I tended to trip over them when they were just laying around and it's not quite as easy for me to get up as it once was.

 

[bayonet]

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You're probably thinking of my fan of French officer's epee's and smallswords that cover approximately a century, 1770-1870. The display is on heavy plywood covered with burgundy colored heavy weight felt-like cloth. It was built by my late sword collecting mentor Robert Justice for himself to display his impressive collection of Mameluke-hilted swords and sabers. (This was based on a photograph used as the cover illustration of a sword collecting book by Wilkinson-Latham.) Unfortunately, Robert - who was an absolute genius at this sort of thing - was frequently improvident financially and sooner or later forced to dispose of his various collections of militaria. When that happened I made him an offer to buy the board on which to mount my collection of epees. They are held on by simple drapery hardware - hooks, ells, and eyelets. The four short swords or hangars to the sides are French Revolutionary at left and Napoleonic to the right.


View attachment 412204

Only smaller blades go into cases, as with this Heer dagger; others include a common SA dagger (you can get a glimpse of it in the top photo at lower right) and a kampfmesser or "boot knife." (Since photographing it, this case has been rearranged to include 3 German combat badges, 2 wound badges and to substitute an EK I for the EK II.)

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I've found for most of my larger swords and sabers like these M.1850 staff and foot officer's swords above and M.1840 and M.1860 cavalry sabers below that large and small ell hooks and picture hangers seem to work fine. Of course they make holes in the wall, if that's a consideration!

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The two Federalist-era officers' swords below are likewise held in place on the mantel by three tiny ell hooks screwed directly into the wooden panel:

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Not to get off topic but I noticed your German WW2 collection. I had a big German Fallschirmjager WW2 collection because I was an Army Paratrooper. So I do a break in service to go to college. BUT unfortunate me enlisted when the only President since WW2 to today did away with the GI Bill. Had a lame program called VEAP, you give a $1 they give $2. Ok not bad but the cap was $8100 so Uncle Sam only kicked in about $5300. That only paid for a Semester. Working full time and going to College full time I still had College debt. So I sold off that collection to pay for my College debt. Years later I meet a German WW2 Paratrooper in Hong Kong and thanked him for paying for my College! He laughed his head off

 

[bayonet]

Another example of using the darkened long screws to display the swords. Hardly notice the screws at all.

 

[Western Reserve Volunteer]

Random thought, but does anyone know what the storage method for swords would have been in the period? Would there have been sword racks, like rifle racks? I assume for long term storage they would have been crated up, also like guns.

In terms of display, I'd assume that the wood pegs wouldn't scratch the swords like metal would, though I suppose you'd need to pick a wood that was low in tannins to prevent any weird corrosion?

 

[bayonet]

Random thought, but does anyone know what the storage method for swords would have been in the period? Would there have been sword racks, like rifle racks? I assume for long term storage they would have been crated up, also like guns.

In terms of display, I'd assume that the wood pegs wouldn't scratch the swords like metal would, though I suppose you'd need to pick a wood that was low in tannins to prevent any weird corrosion?

metal on metal like the long screws I use is fine, does not scratch anything on the swords. After all there just sitting there on the wall and not moving at all to cause scratches.

 

[Western Reserve Volunteer]

On my own personal sword, not on display at the moment due to lack of space, I too used the long screw method. My example is pretty rough, so there's not too much worry about damaging it. I am 90% certain somebody closed a car door on it at some point!

I'm just trying to think how, as someone who is going to be working in museums, I'd ideally go about building a display for them. My thought was that since wood is softer than metal, it eliminates the potential for damage through some kind of metal-on-metal interaction, whatever that might be. I ought to ask my Museology professor what he thinks, he's got 30 years of field experience when it comes to exhibiting artifacts and would know better than I do, or else know someone who knows what the best practice is...

 

[Pete Longstreet]

While my "special" swords go into lit display cases
View attachment 412067
my more common swords are mounted to the wall using the double robe/towel hooks you can get at the hardware store.
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With the double hooks they hold both sword and scabbard.

Whoa... beautiful collection. I like how you have the lighting set up.