Does anyone have experience with these universal sword hangers?

One is made by Hanwei and can be found at KOA - http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~OH24...Hanger.htm -

The other, from an unknown manufacturer resides at MRL - http://www.museumreplicas.com/p-529-universal-sword-hanger.aspx

I like the idea of these hangers - you just see the sword on the wall and the hilt isn't obscured by a big, ornate hanger featuring eagles, coats of arms, etc.

Is the universal hanger strong enough" It looks a little fragile. Is one model better than the other?

They work well for cruciform-hilted swords, but not for anything with rings or complexities. Not so universal, after all. :)

I'd wager they'd hold 10 pounds or so, making them strong enough for swords, but not strong enough for situations where people might be yanking on or caught up on a sword that's on the wall.

Many of my swords have compound hilts of one form or another and so would sit too far from the wall to allow these types of hangers access to the blade. That, and the fact that I don't display anything I own, keep me from using them.

This won't answer your question directly, but instead adds another perspective.

I typically shy away from sword hangers of that kind, as I find them to be too obvious and distracting. Not to mention that most dedicated hangers are far too cheesy and cheap looking. (and only hanging swords in a straight vertical position is visually boring) I tend to use cup hooks and finishing nails of various sizes. I've done this for years and have never had a problem with security. Here's a view of my "stuff" room. Just about everything is hanged in the aforementioned fashion.

[ Linked Image ]
[ Linked Image ]
[ Linked Image ]
[ Linked Image ]

I like to have my collection out where I can enjoy it, but I don't want it to occupy the entire house. As a result I confine it to this one room in the basement. It may be a lifetime hobby but it doesn't define who I am and I don't want it to define my home. In this way it's out where I can enjoy it but out of public view so it isn't the first thing you see when walking into the house. In fact, most people never know this stuff is there unless they're invited downstairs.

I don't want to hijack the topic but Patrick, you have a beautiful "stuff" room. Thank you for sharing.

Patrick,
your wife is a saint. For better or worse must have resonated very deeply with her psyche, either that or you have separate homes....a saint, I say. JCH

I must concur with Michael, That is a very tastefully decorated room. I am well jealous

Thank you gentlemen and I apologize Roger, I didn't want to hijack your thread. I just wanted to show there's a cheaper alternative than most commercially available hangers. The one you've asked about does look like one of the better alternatives.

Jean-Carle,

Strangely enough my wife likes it. I often wonder if it looks too over the top, but she enjoys it.

Over the top? What you've done is gorgeous and tasteful. I would imagine most folks wouldn't have a problem with it if it's done nicely like that.

Now this corner of my house (as it appeared in 2000) is a different story. I can understand wives not liking this:

[ Linked Image ]

... but to get back on topic. I've used these sword hangers. I have one in use right now, and bought a few more for future use. They're easy and convenient in that most of the hanger is hidden behind the hilt of the sword, and since it's hung from a single point, the sword naturally wants to hang perfectly vertical. I've found that if you use a pair of nails straight into the wall to achieve a similar effect, even with using a level, the sword tip isn't always perfectly vertical. The slightest error between two nails that are only 2 inches apart is highly magnified when you look down at the sword tip and realize it's not perfectly straight. So I like these hangers for that reason.

But I'll agree, they're not the most secure things in the world, in that it would be easy to pull the sword off the wall if you snagged it while walking past.

Very nice display room Patrick.

Hmmm... might be a good time to start new thread where people can show pics of how they display their pieces?