Kirk Hammett Names His 3 Most Cherished Horror Movie Pieces

What are the three most cherished pieces of horror movie memorabilia that Metallica's Kirk Hammett owns?

The Metallica guitarist has become one of the most well-known collectors of horror movie memorabilia, primarily centering his focus on materials from 20th Century horror films. Over the years, he's allowed parts of his collection to be viewed publicly and he's delved into his passion for collecting in his book Too Much Horror Business.

During a recent appearance on The Metallica Report podcast, Hammett got into more specifics, sharing with host Steffan Chirazi his three most cherished pieces of horror movie memorabilia.

What Tops Kirk Hammett's Horror Movie Memorabilia?

"No. 1, and I've spoken about this earlier, but the outfit the Boris Karloff wore in that movie The Black Cat from 1933. It's one of my favorite horror movies of all time," confesses the guitarist.

"When I found out that costume was available, I was shocked and amazed cause that movie came out in 1933. That costume was 80 years old and it survived. So I managed to get it very, very quietly and no one seemed to be very interested in it. But once I got it, I was like I can't believe I got this," beamed Hammett.

He shares, "The first thing we did is I put it on and walked around the house pretending I was Boris Karloff in that movie. I'm a goofball."

What Else Does Kirk Hammett Chose as His Most Prized Horror Movie Pieces?

Hammett has a passion for the early horror movie pieces, but some things are easier to track down than others.

"I have a lot of props covering a large amount of time. From the '30s to the present, I have a large amount of the original Frankenstein lab and I'm very happy to say that because the equipment got distributed all over the country, all over the world and it's been kind of my thing to get all the parts back into one spot," shares the guitarist. "I've got a lot of the major parts back, especially the nebularia, which is the round mirror you see in the first three Frankenstein movies. Parts of the lab are very important to me as well."

He also shares, "Another thing I've got that really means a lot to me is the axe from The Shining that Jack Nicholson was carrying around. I was really happy to be able to get that. It's a very important piece from a very important film."

What Else Has Kirk Hammett Recently Acquired?

The Metallica guitarist also beamed about a recent acquisition, one that was at least 30 years in the making.

"My newest acquisition, and it's unbelievable that I was able to acquire this, but I have Bela Lugusoi's Dracula cape from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The cape he wore in that film I managed to attain in the last year," says Hammett.

"I've known where that cape has been for the last 30 years. The guy who had it was kind of dangling it in front of me for the longest time and then last year he was at a point where he needed a financial windfall and he put it in an auction," the guitarist shared. "And nobody really knew about this auction so that worked in my favor. So I was one of maybe three people bidding on it. It was before people even knew that it was at auction and I got it and I was so happy."

"I've been after that thing for 30 years and I finally got it and I'm really, really stoked to have that thing. It means a lot to me," says Hammett.

What Does Collecting Horror Memorabilia Mean to Kirk Hammett?

There's a certain sense of satisfaction that Hammett has drawn from collecting all these pieces. Within the chat, he shares that he'll often take time to stare at the items and finds inspiration in the pieces.

"It inspires me musically. I sit there with my guitar going like, 'Oh my god.' I'm just sitting there staring at it and playing my guitar and maybe something will come out of it," he shares.

READ MORE: Kirk Hammett — Metal + Horror Saved Me From My Bad Childhood

But the guitarist also has immense respect and appreciation for all of his collection and where all the pieces came from. " I have a love for these movies. I think these movies are historically and culturally relevant. I feel like I'm a protector of this stuff. I feel like I'm a curator of this stuff. And I feel that it's important that this stuff is together cause together it works ergonomically," says Hammett.

"It's a part of our world culture and because of that I feel compelled to share it with other people too. I feel that there are people out there who feel this stuff is just as important as I do."

Kirk Hammett Speaks About His Horror Movie Collection on The Metallica Report Podcast