Cousin to the Safe Queen, the Wall Queen...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

Joined
Aug 4, 2013
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I know that everyone has their own reasons for purchasing their knives, and as long as it's not to purposely do harm to innocent people, I say live and let live. That said, I know many won't own a knife that they won't be using as a tool. Others buy knives for the simple pleasure of owning/collecting them. And for some folks, there is a little bit of both of those reasons for buying their knives.

The majority of my knives are for my hobby in collecting them.
Many people that choose to collect, wind up keeping them stored away in boxes, crates, chests, closets, and safes. I will call all of these the "Safe Queen" knives. They are being looked after, but they may only occasionally get pulled out and seen by anyone. Nothing wrong with that... Again, live and let live. People spend THEIR money on these things, so it's THEIR choice on what they will do with them.
For me, I too put them in protective storage, but... my way entails putting them where they are not only protected from dust and such, but also in a way that they can be seen, becoming a part of my interior decor... I'll name these, "Wall Queen" knives :)
Now, this is not to be confused with the term "Wall Hanger(s)", because that term, (imo), is reserved for knives, guns, and swords, that were never intended to function as real tools. They are items strictly for decoration/conversation, but not made for actual use. All of my "Wall Queens" are as real as they look. But, they are "Queens" for being pampered as my collectibles/decor items. My collection, which I call my "Man Gadget Collection", is not only protected by glass covered displays and such, but also in a climate controlled environment, (air conditioned and dehumidified).
My most recent knife purchases, (within the past couple of weeks), was an Ontario SP-53 Bolo and a Tops Wild Pig Hunter.
Well, today, while perusing a local home goods store, I ran across these two front loading shadow boxes. The wheels in my head started spinning with ideas, and so home they went with me...

33mbrkn.jpg


I'll give myself a few days to mull over my ideas, and then these two cases will eventually be transformed into the storage areas for the two knives mentioned. They will protect, while also adding that style to my decor that I like so much :)
 
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Nice.

I've been thinking about doing the same thing with my Spyderco Navaja (Spanish ethnic series piece) and Swiss Army classic that has a Spanish flag printed on it.

I'm American of Spanish descent, and I think these two pieces would look great in a shadow box hanging on the wall.
 
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
I know that everyone has their own reasons for purchasing their knives, and as long as it's not to purposely do harm to innocent people, I say live and let live. That said, I know many won't own a knife that they won't be using as a tool. Others buy knives for the simple pleasure of owning/collecting them. And for some folks, there is a little bit of both of those reasons for buying their knives.

The majority of my knives are for my hobby in collecting them.
Many people that choose to collect, wind up keeping them stored away in boxes, crates, chests, closets, and safes. I will call all of these the "Safe Queen" knives. They are being looked after, but they may only occasionally get pulled out and seen by anyone. Nothing wrong with that... Again, live and let live. People spend THEIR money on these things, so it's THEIR choice on what they will do with them.
For me, I too put them away in protective storage, but... my way entails putting them where they are not only protected from dust and such, but also in a way that they become part of my interior decor... I'll be naming these my "Wall Queen" knives :)
Now, this is not to be confused with the term "Wall Hanger(s)", because that term, (imo), is reserved for knives, guns, and swords, that were never intended to function as real tools. They are items strictly for decoration/conversation, but not made for actual use. All of my "Wall Queens" are as real as they look. But, they are "Queens" for being pampered as my collectibles/decor items. My collection, which I call my "Man Gadget Collection", is not only protected by glass covered displays and such, but also in a climate controlled environment, (air conditioned and dehumidified).
My most recent knife purchases, (within the past couple of weeks), was an Ontario SP-53 Bolo and a Tops Wild Pig Hunter.
Well, today, while perusing a local home goods store, I ran across these two front loading shadow boxes. The wheels in my head started spinning with ideas, and so home they went with me...

33mbrkn.jpg


I'll give myself a few days to mull over my ideas, and then these two cases will eventually be transformed into the storage areas for the two knives mentioned. They will protect, while also adding that style to my decor that I like so much :)
Click to expand...

They look really nice! I'd like to take a look at them and maybe throw down for a set myself! :cool:

What can you tell us abt these fine display boxes?

What store did you obtain them at? Is it a big store like Walmart or Menards, Sears, Target, etc?

Did the box they come in tell you who made them?

Do they have a part number?
 
Tommy-Chi said:
They look really nice! I'd like to take a look at them and maybe throw down for a set myself! :cool:

What can you tell us abt these fine display boxes?

What store did you obtain them at? Is it a big store like Walmart or Menards, Sears, Target, etc?

Did the box they come in tell you who made them?

Do they have a part number?
Click to expand...

My local Marshalls has a HomeGoods section... That's where I picked them up. Nicole Miller is the brand... No box, they are sold as you see them in the photo. Some designer's brand, I guess. I bet she never thought they'd be used the way I'm going to use them, lol! ;)
 
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When I learned that my wife was pregnant with our first baby girl I decided I would hang or lockaway my entire collection. So I bought my shadow boxes to help me display some pieces at Hobby Lobby(not sure how widespread the store is):

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Dec...MIqJuShuqi3AIV05N-Ch1JVgctEAAYASAAEgITjPD_BwE

The first one I left with the original backing. I used stainless steel wire to hold the knives close to the guard and cut-to-size needles to keep them in place at an angle:

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From far away you can't notice it you have to look close. You can barely see the wire in the 3rd picture:

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The second shadow box is similar but I wanted it for more knives and heavier knives too. I bought a bunch of pattern welded steel knives from Pakistan just to serve as ornamenents and that's what I wanted the box for.The first shadowbox is so light I have it hung to the wall with one of those "damage free" doble-sided tape plastic hooks. For the second box the wire and the needles weren't going to work with knives so heavy. The baking of the shadow box is so thin it might break. So what I did was I bought some 1' thick foam, cut it to the size of the shadowbox and then for each knife I carved the shape of the knife so that it would fit just so. It didn't look nice. But then I grabbed an old shirt that my wife wanted to throw away and I put the foam inside it. Then the knife in each carved spot on top of the shirt. You couldn't even tell it was an old shirt or foam it looked nice now. Then I put the whole thing inside the box and closed it. It's been sitting inside my closet for 2 years now. The problem with it was that it is so heavy I think it would tear the drywall of my aparment, fall down and break. So I didn't want to risk hanging it. I'll see if I can find some pictures. Now I wish I could sell the whole thing as it is. Just get rid of everything. But who in the hell would spend $350 dollars on all that junk at once. It looks nice but I doubt anyone would think it's worth that much. I'm thinking of repurposing the shadow box for my wife's ever growing Harry Potter memorabilia and then try to sell the knives one by one. We'll see.
 
Nice examples, guys!
I guess I'm not as strange for doing what I do afterall. Nice to run into folks that have similar ideas in using knives, (and other gadgets), as wall/table art :)

Along with having purchased some of these displays at Marshals, I too have purchased some from Hobby Lobby and Michael's. The sources for these things, (displays and the gadgets in them), can vary quite a bit for me, since my eyes are always kept peeled :)

Here are a few examples, (my having probably 50 or so displays total), of how I display my "gadgets"

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Well, I wound up having some ambition to work on the two shadow box displays after work today... Simple enough project, but it still took me a little time to get it just right. Maybe a two hour project from start to finish.

Upon entering my domain, I have a sign on my wall that reads... "My Cave, My Rules!"... Yup, as one can see, it fits me like a glove! ;)

r9nclw.jpg


10pr9ud.jpg


wikq52.jpg
 
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But "Break Glass" is traditional! From old cartoons and movies I've seen that is! For in case of the Zombie Apocalypses and all!

Still you do got great wall eye candy there even if most of it is super functional. :D

Editcus: You could also raise the floor by using a modern tough plastic/polymer/acrylic or what ever and put the displays down so you could walk over them looking down at them and mirror the ceiling to look up at them if your neck hurts from looking down.
 
this should be renamed the Bachelor pad decorating thread. there is no freaking way the wife will let you hang your Tops pig sticker on the dining room wall. Or maybe the Man Cave pic thread ?
 
ponykid said:
this should be renamed the Bachelor pad decorating thread. there is no freaking way the wife will let you hang your Tops pig sticker on the dining room wall. Or maybe the Man Cave pic thread ?
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I was married for 18 yrs before divorcing about 12 yrs ago. Even while married, I had my space for my likes, and she had hers. In that part of our marriage, there was no problem :)
 
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.I had 14 XX Case trappers in one of these quickly stolen off my wall about 20 years ago. They didn't take much else but I guess the shadow box was just too easy. Mine stay in a roll in a safe now.--KV
 
I like the "wall queen" idea. I think it makes more since than buying and storing knives.

I use my knives. I don't have the disposable income at the moment to "collect" knives. That being said, I totally get "collecting" knives for display. I love the art of a beautiful knife.
 
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
Well, I wound up having some ambition to work on the two shadow box displays after work today... Simple enough project, but it still took me a little time to get it just right. Maybe a two hour project from start to finish.

Upon entering my domain, I have a sign on my wall that reads... "My Cave, My Rules!"... Yup, as one can see, it fits me like a glove! ;)

r9nclw.jpg


10pr9ud.jpg


wikq52.jpg
Click to expand...


Your wall display looks real nice Jimmy!
 
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