5 Creative Ways to Organize Your Pocket Knife Collection

Knife, tool, and EDC organization can be done in many ways.  It’s an important part of your collection.  Organizing ensures your knife, tools, and other collectibles ensure they don’t go missing or get lost.  It also helps group your items in a way that makes sense to you (ie by use, value, size, etc.).  

The options for EDC organization are many.  This article covers some options that may already exist in your house.  These options are great for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a case or organizer solution or simply have not decided on which dedicated solution is best for them.  

These options are also great if you are running out of room with your current setup and need a temporary spot for the “overflow”.  As we EDC enthusiasts know, the collection always grows and changes!

1) Magazine Pouch

If you own firearms you may have some of these lying around.  If not, they are usually very affordable.

Magazine pouches are a great option for knife and tool storage.  The pockets are vertical and usually wide enough to accommodate most EDC items.  They offer a fair amount of protection as they have thick canvas or soft padded material.  Each compartment will stop the items from making contact with each other. 

Pouches do come with some drawbacks.  The pocket sizes are pretty universal and although they fit most

Items, smaller knives and tools may not be easy to get in and out.  Larger and longer items will not fit.  They will fit most average-size knives, but anything on the bigger or smaller end could be a problem.

Magazine pouches are also not always built for travel.  Not a problem as an at-home solution, but when traveling they would need another bag to be placed in.

Pros:
- Affordable or you may have some extras around the house.
- Offer a good amount of protection.

Cons
- Limited in the size of knives and tools it can hold.
- Not built for travel.
- Does not lock.

2) Tackle Box

A tackle box is a surprisingly versatile and often overlooked knife storage solution.  Some models come with compartments that fit most knives and EDC items.  Others will come with dividers to accommodate different-sized items.  An old tackle box is sometimes found as an unused item around the household.  They are fairly easy to find at local flea markets or garage sales.  If those options aren’t available they are also pretty affordable.

Some of the drawbacks include being a big bulking in size.  Some of them may allow for a padlock, but most do not lock.  Although the tackle box is meant for fishing trips, they are not always the best solution for EDC items as they do not securely hold down the items within.

Pros:
- Can be found used fairly easily.
- Affordable.
- Good exterior protection.  Hard case.

Cons:
- Does not secure items inside from movement.
- Bulky.  
- Does not lock.
- Not the best looking solution.

3) Gun case with foam:

If you’re a firearms owner you may have some unused cases lying around.  These offer a great solution to storing EDC items as they are usually padded on the top and bottom offering good protection.  They typically hold tight enough to prevent movement of the items when traveling.  Most firearms cases have a padlock hole near the latch for extra security.

Firearm cases will usually be limited in capacity and how much they can hold (for a pistol case). The flat layout of the case is good for storage, but not the best for organizing.  

Pros:
- Cheap or free.
- Can usually be locked.
- Good protection inside and out (if the case has foam).

Cons:
- Not the best for organizing.
- Limited in capacity.

4) Original Packaging + Bin

This is an often overlooked solution!  Often knife packaging is thrown out.  But the original box serves as a great way to store a knife or other item.  They were designed to protect the item while traveling.  They are usually labeled as well to make the item easy to identify.  Using the original box and then a plastic bin or other larger box is a great way to store and organize your collection long-term.

Of course, not all knives and tools come with packaging solutions that are ideal for keeping such as plastic clam shells.  This method of organizing also makes it hard to see your collection all at once.  The extra bulk of the packaging will also require more space.

Pros:
- Free.
- Can identify items quickly.
- Great to retain the value of the item.

Cons:
- Little exterior protection.
- Not easy to travel with.
- Takes up more space.

5) Egg Carton:

Yes, this is a weird one, but hear us out!  The shape of the egg container is very versatile for holding a variety of items.  Egg cartons are used as an organizer for arts and crafts, hobbies, and other small parts.  The shape of the carton can hold knives and tools in a fairly organized way.

This solution of course is meant more for stationary organization and storage.  A tool drawer or dresser drawer would be a more appropriate application for this solution.  

Cartons are made of foam or other soft paper material making them less durable than the ideas mentioned above.  However, with some creativity, you’d be surprised how you can use this idea to store and organize your EDC collection.

Pros: 
- Free!
- Can hold and organize parts.
- Able to organize in different ways.

Cons: 
- Not a good travel solution.
- Limited to stationary storage like drawers.
- Not as durable.

Conclusion:

You can keep your knife organized and protected with a little creativity and on a low budget.  Take the time to organize your pocket knife collection to retain value, prevent loss, and reduce the chance of damage.  

If you are ready for a knife storage solution that offers all of the above but is also good for travel, has locking capabilities, and modularity, check out our Vault Case Co. products to see which one works best for you!