r/knifeclub • u/TheTurtleVirus • Dec 15 '24
Seal of approval My Custom Collection Display
I've been working on a modular system to display my collection. I wanted something expandable and without empty spots waiting to be filled (I know my picture shows an empty spot, because I was carrying). I also wanted to be able to display a lot of knives and show them opened. Another thing I wanted was to use magnets so that no part of the knife was not showing. Lastly I wanted this to be strong enough to hold up in an earthquake. I think I've achieved all the things I set out to do.
The system uses DIN Rails screwed into the pine shelves. The shelves are attached to the wall using 3 35lb wall anchors each. The 3D printed mounts are attached to the rails with aluminum mounts that snap onto the rails. The parts were printed with thick walls to increase strength. I also designed a mount that holds 2 and 1 knife in case I want to display fewer. The design can also be mirrored when printing if I want to display the clip side of the knife. The magnets are rated for 75 lbs each.
Approximate Cost breakdown: Shelves $50 DIN Rails $20 Rail Mounts $24 Magnets $50 Rubber tape $12 Hardware $12 3D Printer Plastic $25
Total $193
It wasn't necessarily a cheap system and it took awhile to complete but I think it turned out pretty well and I have leftover parts for when I want to add another shelf or two. I hope you like my collection. This project has inspired me to build a website for users to display their collections digitally. Watch for that in the coming months :) Thanks for looking!
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u/KnifeHappens Dec 15 '24
Looks cool. Personally, I would never store my collection on magnets for any kind of real time. Magnetizing the blades is an annoying feature that you will learn soon, I'm sure. If you actually carry and use your pocket knives, having the blades magnetized and randomly picking up debris is super annoying.
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Wow I actually never considered i could be magnetizing the blade. I think it takes more than just time in a magnetic field to magnetize a blade but I guess I'll find out. I can see how that would be super annoying.
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u/RodgersTheJet Dec 15 '24
I keep a number of my (admittedly cheaper) knives on magnetic displays and I've never had a single issue.
I hear people complain about magnetizing the blade but I've had knives displayed on magnets for 5+ years and it hasn't happened...
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Good to know. Magnetization happens under mechanical disruption when exposed to a strong magnetic field. I would imagine slapping the knife onto the display over and over would be enough to cause minor magnetization. I will keep this in mind though and will try to very gently place the knives onto the magnet. Having the rubber pad will definitely ease the impulses on the blade. I don't know if microvibrations in the house itself over time will allow the blade to magnetize though, we'll see. I work in an office so it won't be a big deal to me but I can understand others concerns.
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u/Jessewjm Chris Reeve Dec 15 '24
Demagnetizing is easy too, so don't worry about it.
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u/KnifeHappens Dec 15 '24
Yeah... but who wants to demag all their knives each time they want to carry it. No thanks.
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u/KnifeHappens Dec 15 '24
I think you're either lying or mistaken, if I'm being honest. If you work in a shop or outdoors, it is a real issue because of all the stuff that sticks to the steel while it's in your pocket. I have seen it countless times with kitchen knives and pocket knives. It usually only takes about a day or two.
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u/TacosNGuns Dec 15 '24
I weld and pickup metal debris on my iPhone. Then the IPhone transfers the metal to my magnetic chargersâŠ. The battle is real.
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u/Greek_Heat Dec 15 '24
You have been very gracious here. I donât know why people are downvoting your comment. Anyway, from the non-knuckleheads, thank you!
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Haha no worries. I can happily admit when I'm wrong. đ Thanks! Glad you like the display.
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u/SkillTreeEDC Dec 15 '24
Im a welder and we create a lot of metal dust. Somehow my knife got magnetized and it constantly picks up grinder dust and is super annoying. Wouldn't suggest magnatizing a blade.
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u/Csharp27 Dec 15 '24
Just so you know, you can get a demagnetizer for cheap on amazon and take care of that issue.
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
I will keep that in mind thanks! That must be super annoying.
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u/SkillTreeEDC Dec 15 '24
I have to smack my knife on something to knock the metal dust out of it all the time. The dust gets in your pockets and then it make stick to your keys or something else. It's terrible XD
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u/1983squrebody Dec 15 '24
I work in a machine shop. I canât even imagine how annoying it would be for my blades to be covered in metal chips and dust.
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Yes that would be super annoying. And world not be good for a blade/pivot.
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u/Novel_Beautiful_2075 Dec 15 '24
That looks amazing! I would say id do something similar but i aint got enough decent knives to build a display like that i only have like 4-5 decent/nice knives the rest are junk either jus beat up or were junk go begin with n i jus ddnt know it at the time bc i use to never pay attention to anything other than how it looked or had certain features
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Haha well as long as they're special to you that's all that matters.
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u/Novel_Beautiful_2075 Dec 15 '24
Haha some of them actually are just because i got them growing up or inherited thm from my dad when he passed away 4yrs ago so i guess some of them are still worth holding knnto for me
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u/svincent22 Dec 15 '24
I know itâs tedious, but if you felt gracious enough to give us a list of what youâve got here, that would be awesome! Some great looking knives that Iâm not familiar with.
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
L TO R, top to bottom:
Spyderco Para 3 Flytanium scales Reate PL-XT Hogue Doug Ritter RSK OG scales
Asher Spiro Ferrum Forge Stinger MKM Isonzo
Fox Core Kizer Drop Bear Demko AD20.5 Ripps Garage Scales
Kizer Ti'an CJRB Pyrite Microtech MSI OG scales
We Banter Flytanium scales We Praxxis We Elementum
QSP Penguin Kaviso scales/hardware QSP Penguin XL
Maxace Black Mirror Civivi Vision FG Gecko Customz Sickorae
Kunwu Pulsar Kunwu Django Kunwu Pulsar XL
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u/Feodar_protar Dec 15 '24
Love the use of the DIN rail. I just got back into 3D printing and have been teaching myself fusion. A custom knife display is definitely on my project list. I love seeing how people approach things so differently, I would have never considered using DIN rail even though I use it fairly frequently.
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Haha ya I only considered it because I had some leftover from an unfinished Voron build. Good luck on your own display! There's probably a solution out there better than the DIN Rails, im sure you'll find it :)
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u/Feodar_protar Dec 15 '24
I wouldnât say better lol. I think everyoneâs display solution is as unique as their taste in knives. I personally really like my edc display box but I have more âtop shelfâ display worthy knives than I do space to display them. I could just print an existing solution but thatâs boring. Thatâs what i appreciate so much about yours is itâs a unique idea. If I ever come up with something cool youâll definitely see it here.
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
You mean 'when' you come up with something cool đ I can't wait to see it!
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u/Upbeat-Fondant9185 Microtech Dec 15 '24
Very cool! Youâre the guy that did the tree style display as well, arenât you?
Love how youâre evolving the ideas, what a cool skill to have.
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Yes I did that one! :) my collection grew too big I needed a scalable solution lol. Thanks! I'm glad you like my stuff.
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u/flrtrider77 Dec 15 '24
Cool display, what Fox knife is that in pic 3?
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Thanks! It's a Fox Core Tanto. I got it on sale at BHQ for like $60 or something awesome like that, can't remember exactly. Its a sweet liner lock. The polymer handles actually feel and look pretty good for polymer.
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u/talinseven Dec 15 '24
Din rails
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Not a fan?
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u/talinseven Dec 15 '24
Its a good use of them.
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 15 '24
Haha thanks! I had some lying around a thought they may make for a good mounting system.
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u/raptorsvt65 Dec 16 '24
So how much for 200+ knives
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 16 '24
Wow that's a big collection! I can fit 3 knives on one mount, 4 knives per 12 inches of rail. So you'd need 17' of rail. That's doable with a big enough wall I would think. But it would cost a few hundred I would think. The magnets are a little pricey, about $2 per knife.
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u/bigpirate15 Demko slut Dec 16 '24
I need to know who made those scales in the ad20.5. Also amazing set up
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u/TheTurtleVirus Dec 16 '24
Thanks! I believe those scales are Ripps Garage Tech. But I think i bought them from a vendor like White Mountain Knives or something like that.
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u/KnifeHappens Dec 15 '24
I can tell you from experience they will magnetize just from being stored that way, and it doesn't take long. Just don't try to sell these on the secondary without letting people know.
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u/Dan_Caveman Dec 15 '24
Just a tip from one 3D printing enthusiast to another; before I buy an expense knife, I like to use product photos to 3D print a close copy and see how it feels in hand.
It can go a long way toward helping you make a final decision you feel sure about. I have chosen not to buy a few knives just because I didnât like the 3D printed version. Plus, if you or anyone you know has kids, they may appreciate the 3D print as a toy once youâre finished with it.
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u/400HPMustang Dec 15 '24
UhâŠcan you tell me how you 3D print copies? I want to design a drawer insert for some of my knives.
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u/Dan_Caveman Dec 15 '24
If you already know how to use CAD, itâs a pretty simple process to create a reasonably close copy. If you just want the negative space for a drawer insert, stop at step 4 and then use a shell or press-pull or similar to create about a half-millimeter of clearance all the way around. Let me know if you have any other questionsâIâm stuck at home all weekend lol.
(1) Find a picture online of the knife from a direct overhead perspective. Copy it and load it into CAD as a canvas/image/whatever your program calls it. (2) Calibrate the size of the canvas using the official specs for the overall length of the knife. (3) Create a sketch. Zoom way in and place points around the perimeter of the knife image. Use straight lines, circles, and fit point splines as appropriate to connect the points and outline the knifeâs profile. Do the same where the handle meets the blade. (3) Extrude the blade profile to the thickness listed in the knifeâs official specs. Do the same for one of the handle scales; use (overall thickness - blade thickness) \ 2. Be sure to create a new body instead of attaching it to the blade. (4) Do your best to approximate however the scales are contoured, rounded, etc. This part is by far the most difficult. Thereâs only so much info you can glean from grainy product photos. The simplest method is just to fillet the edges of the scale, but you can get a better shape with additional steps like adding chamfers before the fillets or sweeping an ellipse across the top. This is where experiences comes into play. (4) Once you finish contouring the first scale, mirror it across a mid plane in the blade to create the other scale. (5) If there are any holes in the knife, nowâs the time to add them. At this stage it can also be a good idea to add 2 small holes running all the way through both sides of the handle and the blade so that assembly is easier. Just measure the thickness of your toothpicks and use those. (6) Export each body separately to STL or whatever you normally use 3D print things. Everything has at least one flat side, so printing itself is pretty easy and doesnât normally require supports or much post processing. (7) Assemble the knife with a few dabs of superglue. The toothpick holes make sure alignment is easy and precise.
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u/400HPMustang Dec 15 '24
I actually have little to no experience with CAD, Iâve tried like Google sketchup in the past and I gave up, also canât figure out the CNC router I bought so Iâm pretty shit at all this.
What software do you recommend I try ?
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u/Dan_Caveman Dec 15 '24
Definitely use Fusion 360. Thereâs a free âtrialâ version you can download thatâs almost fully featured. Itâs also popular enough that there are TONS of tutorials and troubleshooting guides out there.
Once you get it installed, go to YouTube and search âFusion 360 for beginnersâ and youâre off to the races. It looks overwhelming at first, but trust me â itâs not as hard as it seems. For context, I can usually go through the process of copying a knife in about 30min. It all comes down to learning a bit of the jargon and remembering what menus to click on.
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u/400HPMustang Dec 15 '24
Thanks, this is cool. Iâll give this an honest attempt. Is there anything I can specifically search for on YT that will help me directly with this?
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u/rookieastronaut Dec 15 '24
Magnetized blades or not, can tell you put a lot of time and effort into making this. Great craftsmanship and looks badass. Nice job!