A chest that can be locked may do well in living rooms, etc.
If you have a place where looks are not important, you may be able to find something with narrow drawers (e. g. for tools or maps), preferably made from metal. If there is no locking mechanism in place, a lockable iron bar securely installed across the drawers should keep all but the most inquisitive hands away.
The best storage conditions are those with climate parameters (especially temperature and humidity) as stable as possible; humidity should not be high and, if possible, temperature cool. More important than meeting specific parameters is to avoid fluctuations - both, daily and seasonally.
Wrapping well-oiled blades with kitchen foil is certainly recommended - cp. Alan's postings. Wether you need any additional wrapping of your pieces will mainly depend on details of your storage conditions. I've seen bubble foil used for packing things in crowded places (less layers needed than during shipping though); however be careful since softeners leaching from plastic may stain silver and bronze/etc. Some spare cotton fabric may be a better choice and will allow moisture to reach an equilibrium as well as any excess oil to be absorbed.
If you have any horn or, especially, hair/fur/hide/leather in the collection, make sure to include sufficient pest control! Moths can be controlled easily with traps; dermestid beetles and their larvae are a major pain though.
Also keep an eye on any wooden parts; however, in my experience woodworms/etc. are not likely to gain a foothold with pieces that get handled regularly.
Make sure to quarantine any new arrivals until proven safe or getting full treatment though!
Regards,
Kai
|