Smart or stupid? You be the judge

[Sir James A]

I've been mulling about some ideas for weapon display cases/stands, and have scrapped a few ideas since I think they will end up displayed where the cats can "interact" with them. As such, I'm going to have plexiglass windows on the front, but it also restricts my designs a bit. I'm going for a more "thin" display, rather than some of the slanted racks or multi-tier ones I had drawn up.

I also have a tendency to randomly acquire more weapons, so I can't have anything too "concrete" that uses exact dimensions on all the weapons for the display, and I'll need the ability to rearrange/add items without having to build a new case every time. Oh, it'll run a range of shapes and sizes - claymores, single handers, katanas, sai, flail, axe, polearms, rapier, dagger, etc.

I was looking for a decent backer board, since I want a "freestanding" case I can move around, instead of putting lots of holes in the wall. While I was browsing Home Depot (since it's the closest place) for materials, I saw pegboard - which has super cheap hooks ($0.50/each vs $5.00/each for a single adjustable sword hanger) and would have a lot of "rearranging" potential just by moving the hooks - no drilling, no nailing, no repainting. And the difference in price on a pegboard-backed case vs a plywood backed case is nominal.

Some of my other designs included the adjustable sword hangers, which run about $5 each, mounted to 1x3 or 2x3 supports. Another was to use steel rebar in parallel with a 1/4" gap, the width of the case, and to place the blades between the bars and let the crossguard hold it up. That would let me shift things left and right to rearrange or re-space them, but at a similar cost to the adjustable hangers, which I think look nicer, but don't provide any adjustability for rearranging without re-nailing and re-painting.

The pegboard hooks are rated to 10 lbs each, and I don't think any of my weapons weigh more than that.

So ... am I completely off my rocker, or does this pegboard thing sound like a feasible idea? Anyone seen it done before? Smart or stupid?

[Sir William]

I've seen pegboard stands/racks before- at just about every flea market in America.  I think it is a smart idea if you plan on expanding/contracting and switching out your pieces as time goes on.  For myself, I'm looking for a rack like I saw in Kill Bill 2 (Pai Mei's sword rack) - my wife thinks it is too utilitarian but that's exactly the look I'm looking for in my armory, you know?

Those sword hangers can get pretty expensive...at least the ones I got were.

[Sir Edward]

 So to clarify, you're thinking of a free-standing cabinet, with pegboard inside to hang hooks, right? I think it's a pretty good idea. That's always my biggest fear with constructing something-- that my needs will change and all of that work will go to waste. On the other hand, most of my Albions stand up against a bookshelf or in a corner now, and my cheap swords hang on racks. Something is clearly wrong with me.

[Sir William]

LMAO

You have yet to build a rack worthy of those Albions so for now...they stand on their own, as is their wont.

[Sir Wolf]

i had a friend that bought cheap gun racks with the glass doors and took out all the stuff inside that held the guns. then he put in a horizontal board with lots of slits and put the swords in it. that way the prise ones could be shown off behind glass and light up from the top of the case

[Sir James A]

 So to clarify, you're thinking of a free-standing cabinet, with pegboard inside to hang hooks, right? I think it's a pretty good idea. That's always my biggest fear with constructing something-- that my needs will change and all of that work will go to waste. On the other hand, most of my Albions stand up against a bookshelf or in a corner now, and my cheap swords hang on racks. Something is clearly wrong with me.

Yes, free standing with pegboard inside. Probably no more than 6 or 8 inches deep, so I'll anchor it to the wall with an L bracket on top, but otherwise free standing. Due to living in a small house, most of my swords are living in a closet or leaning between the bedroom furniture right now - my wife even said I need to do something to put them on display.

I've actually gone through 3 or 4 cases/stands that I built over the last 15ish years. Those didn't contain my whole collection, with the exception of the first one, back when I only owned 5 swords. I've got a few random single/triple sword stands that sit on tables, and a pair of 8-sword japanese racks on the wall in the bedroom, but I want to "consolidate" things into one area along with the armor.

Right now, current "armory inventory" stands at:

21 : Katanas (long swords)
11 : European Swords 37-45"
9 : European Swords 46"+
7 : European Swords 36"-
6 : Nunchaku
4 : Wakizashi (medium swords)
3 : Tantos (dagger)
3 : "Ninja" swords (straight blade style katanas)
2 : Sai
1 : 15th Cent german halberd
1 : Spear
1 : Large axe (about 3')
1 : Dual-Ball flail
1 : Rapier & Dagger matching set
1 : Ring-hilt dagger
1 : NoDachi (japanese great sword - about 5' long)
1 : Naginata (polearm)
1 : Bo staff
1 : set of shuko (hand claws)
1 : set of double-swords that slide together to make a single wooden staff

I might have missed 1 or 2 somewhere. Even if I didn't, I'm sure I'll buy 1 or 2 before the end of the year.

Sir Wolf - how much were they/where did he pick them up? That might be a viable idea. The main issue is that I think I need 7 or 8 cases at 3'-4' in width and 6' in height since I've got so many items that are good for little more than being wallhangers. And lighting - I hadn't though of that! To the drawing board again!

Sir Edward - if mine turn out okay and you want to build a case, let me know. I've got a table saw, compound mitre saw, jigsaw, drill press, and other various woodworking tools. There's a Home Depot less than 5 miles from my house so getting materials would be easy. The only thing I lack is skill!

[Sir Brian]

  OMG James! You are better armed than most third world nations! 

[Sir Rodney]

Right now, current "armory inventory" stands at:

21 : Katanas (long swords)
11 : European Swords 37-45"
9 : European Swords 46"+
7 : European Swords 36"-
6 : Nunchaku
4 : Wakizashi (medium swords)
3 : Tantos (dagger)
3 : "Ninja" swords (straight blade style katanas)
2 : Sai
1 : 15th Cent german halberd
1 : Spear
1 : Large axe (about 3')
1 : Dual-Ball flail
1 : Rapier & Dagger matching set
1 : Ring-hilt dagger
1 : NoDachi (japanese great sword - about 5' long)
1 : Naginata (polearm)
1 : Bo staff
1 : set of shuko (hand claws)
1 : set of double-swords that slide together to make a single wooden staff

I might have missed 1 or 2 somewhere. Even if I didn't, I'm sure I'll buy 1 or 2 before the end of the year.

   

[Sir Wolf]

what i think you need to do is this:

do you have a unused wall?

if so take a a few 1x8 and lay them horizontally. so they reach from one wall to the other. along the back every so many inches make peg holes for standing pole arms and in the the middle and front make slits to hold vertically hanging swords.

use either L brackets, triangular wood pieces underneath or what have you on the studs every other or 3rd stud about 3-4 ft from the ground. now nail the horizontal piece across the supports and insert swords and pole arms

[Sir William]

Wow...you don't need a display case, you need to build up the wall to hold all of that.  I'm seeing the sunken in tray-lighting angled toward that wall...as for the wall, I see a stone-like motif but you don't want to paint it on, per se, unless you know someone who is an ace at perspective to make it look realistic.  You could even split the wall up between Eastern and Western weaponry.

I see the Euros done in a sunburst style while the Eastern arms in corresponding angles, beautiful in its symmetry.  I'm just rambling here, sorry.

[Sir Edward]

Ah, yet another person who follows the "age rule", where you should have more swords than your age?

[Sir William]

If that is the general rule, I am a LOT younger than I think!  lol

[Sir James A]

OMG James! You are better armed than most third world nations! 

I've been collecting for 18 years, and I still have the first sword I ever bought, when mom let me use her credit card and I gave her cash for it, since I didn't have a checking account or credit card and you had to be 18 to order. I was 13 or 14, but my mom is pretty awesome.

what i think you need to do is this:

do you have a unused wall?

if so take a a few 1x8 and lay them horizontally. so they reach from one wall to the other. along the back every so many inches make peg holes for standing pole arms and in the the middle and front make slits to hold vertically hanging swords.

use either L brackets, triangular wood pieces underneath or what have you on the studs every other or 3rd stud about 3-4 ft from the ground. now nail the horizontal piece across the supports and insert swords and pole arms

Hmm... I think I might take that concept and do the same thing, but inside the case. I need to avoid attaching it to the wall, but the overall concept sounds pretty good. I have as much fun with the design phase as I do with the final results.

Wow...you don't need a display case, you need to build up the wall to hold all of that.  I'm seeing the sunken in tray-lighting angled toward that wall...as for the wall, I see a stone-like motif but you don't want to paint it on, per se, unless you know someone who is an ace at perspective to make it look realistic.  You could even split the wall up between Eastern and Western weaponry.

I see the Euros done in a sunburst style while the Eastern arms in corresponding angles, beautiful in its symmetry.  I'm just rambling here, sorry.

Rambling is totally fine. Seems like brainstorming to me. I've seen the euro "sunburst" style displays, but I don't think I have the space for it, and I definitely don't have the skills to make one. I do have two different "layout" styles for eastern vs western weapons. And stone. Hmm. Stone....

Ah, yet another person who follows the "age rule", where you should have more swords than your age?

It's going to be interesting if I make it to retirement age.

[SirNathanQ]

Yes, I think that any nation who's name ends with "stan" could in fact be taken over by Sir James.
Keep it up! When the order starts the great marches of conquest, we're gonna need something to put in the hands of all the peasant levies and fyrds from subject conquered nations!