For the last month or so, Dad's been building me a display cabinet for my bayonet collection. I've watched it come together with eager anticipation. My bayonets have been displayed in a wall case in the basement, a case which once displayed my niece Paula's Barbie collection. From Barbie to the battlefield. I don't think Ken is a bayonet kind of guy.
Anyway, Dad called to tell me that the cabinet was finished. Pam and I picked it up on Wednesday. Last night we decided where to put it--a spot in our great room--and I spent the next two hours filling it up. The bayonets rest on dowel pegs, giving me a lot of flexibility in how I arrange them. I fit all 43 bayonets, plus 4 fighting knives, into the cabinet with room to spare. I'll be able to squeeze in another 8-10 bayonets.
The cabinet is beautiful pine with black hinges and handles. There are four doors--two large ones for the upper part, two smaller ones for the lower part. I LOVE it.
Here are some photos--the entire case with doors closed, the upper part, and the lower part. Click on the thumbnail to get a large view.
Career-wise, I've been hanging around and writing about and cheering on churches and pastors for the past 25 years as my denomination's Communications Director.
What a collection! I am not in the know. What is a bayonet and what distinguishes it from a knife or sword?
Bayonets are designed to fit onto the end of a rifle. Some are also designed in such a way that they can double as a knife or sword. But most knives and swords aren't designed to fit onto the end of a rifle.