PLACING WEAPONS NEAR A HEAT SOURCE CAN BE RISKY.
BUT IN NATIVE SOCIETY WEAPONS ARE OFTEN KEPT IN THE RAFTERS WHERE THE SMOKE HELPS PRESERVE THEM. IF YOU BURN WOOD IN YOUR FIREPLACE YOU WILL GET SMOKE RESIDU ON WHAT EVER IS HUNG ABOVE IT. WOOD ALSO GIVES OFF MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF STEAM WHICH WILL RISE AND COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS.
SOME MATERIALS CAN CRACK OR SPLIT DUE TO HEAT OR DRYING BECAUSE OF IT. THE CLOSER TO THE HEAT THE WORSE IT WILL BE. IF ITS HIGHER AS ON OR ABOVE A FIREPLACE MANTLE THERE WILL BE LESS EFFECT AND IF ITS ONLY GAS HEAT THE SMOKE WILL BE ELIMINATED BUT THERE WILL STILL BE HEAT AND MOSITURE TO CONTEND WITH. I AM NOT SURE HOW TO PROTECT THE MATERIALS OVER A FIREPLACE BUT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GOOD PLACE TO HANG THINGS I HAVE A 2500 YEAR OLD BISON SKULL HANGING OVER MINE AS WELL AS A MANTLE FULL OF WOOD CARVINGS WHICH HAVE NOT SUFFERED MUCH OVER SEVERAL YEARS. IF YOU WANT TO GIVE IT A TRY IT WILL PROBABLY BE OK BUT I WOULD KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE ITEMS AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST YEAR. MY ITEMS ARE ABOUT TWO FEET ABOVE THE TOP OF THE FIREPLACE OPENING. I WOULD NOT LEAVE BLADES IN SCABBARDS BECAUSE OF THE MOISTURE FROM HEATING AND COOLING CONDENSATION. IF THEY ARE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM YOU CAN STOP ANY RUST OR REMOVE THE ITEMS BEFORE THERE IS MUCH DAMMAGE DONE. COATING THE BLADES ,WOOD OR HORN WITH THE VARIOUS WAX, OR OILS MENTIONED IN SEVERAL FORUM POSTS WOULD NOT HURT REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU DISPLAY YOUR COLLECTION. THE AGE CONDITION, FRAGILITY, RARITY AND VALUE OF THE ITEMS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ALSO. VERY RARE OR VALUABLE ITEMS WOULD BE BETTER PRESERVED IN A AREA WHERE HUMIDITY, HEAT AND LIGHT ARE CONTROLLED A FIREPLACE DOES NOT QUALIFY AS SUCH A PLACE. GOOD LUCK
