The Best Pocket Knife Storage Cases

Knives are wonderful tools, even in a day-to-day sense. No, we don’t mean kitchen blades — although chef knives are certainly important for anyone interested in culinary endeavors. Rather, we’re speaking specifically (at least in this case) about everyday carry knives. These pocketable, folding cutting tools allow just about anyone to open packages, remove clothing tags and pesky stickers, trim and/or cut just about anything (be that loose strings, hairs, fishing line, food, etc.), peel and chop fruit and veggies, — and that’s just a few of their many advantages.

Of course, anyone in the know is already aware that there’s not a single knife that can perform every task you might need. Furthermore, with the thousands of options on the market of all shapes, sizes, materials, styles, etc, who can honestly choose just one? Spoiler alert: you don’t have to. However, if you’re going to expand your collection of folding knives, you may want a single solution for keeping them all protected and in order. And that’s what we have for you today on our guide to the best pocket knife storage cases.

If you’re a casual everyday carry enthusiast — meaning you only have the bare minimum amount of gear you carry with you daily — you’re probably not the target market for an organizational solution such as the ones on our list. However, if you’re of the understanding that EDC knives are highly collectible and, more importantly, that different offerings serve different purposes and suit different styles, then you’ve come to the right place.

As is the case with any kind of purpose-driven organizational system, knife organizers are simultaneously a way of keeping your folding blades in order, protected, and (in some cases) a means of putting them on display — or at least making them easy to show off by keeping them all in order and protected. These pocket knife storage systems typically have multiple slots, each sized to house a single knife so as to keep them from knocking and rubbing against one another (which could cause damage to even the toughest of handles over time), and are able to be closed or rolled up to protect their contents. For reference, soft-sided bags and rolls tend to be more portable whereas hardshell cases are tougher and more protective, but are often more of a chore to transport. Picking the one that suits you best will come down to a combination of your budget, the number of knives in your collection, and your personal preference regarding materials and type.

Now that you know what a knife organizer is, who needs one, and why, let’s move onto the most important areas one should review when shopping around for an everyday carry knife organizer, case, or storage solution. 

Size: Pocket knife cases and organizers can massively vary in terms of shape and size. Obviously the larger models on the market afford markedly more storage space and can house a substantially larger number of blades, however, size undeniably comes at the cost of mobility and travel-readiness. We recommend starting your search by first considering the number of knives you wish to accommodate, and using that as your jumping off point before considering additional factors such as whether or not you plan on exclusively keeping the case at home or intend to travel with it. 

Materials: The materials used to construct a knife case or organizer will play an enormous role in a model’s overall quality as well as its durability. For obvious reasons, the more mobile and travel-friendly cases on the market tend to be crafted for lighter materials that still boast solid durability, as where dedicated home knife organizers that aren’t intended for travel are often made from heavier constructions — albeit ones that can sometimes be more delicate such as wood or glass. 

Organizational Amenities: Another way that pocket knife cases can hugely vary is in their internal organizational amenities. The organization amenities of some knife cases are as spartan as simply drawers or undivided rows meant for housing knives, while others feature markedly more involved organizational setups that sport individual slips, pockets, or compartments for each knife the case accommodates. 

Durability & Protection: Though this area is largely owed to the type of materials used to craft a pocket knife case or organizer, their durability can also range pretty tremendously from model to model. As a case’s first line of defense, its shell will play a substantial role in determining a model’s durability, however, many organizers are further fortified via the addition of foam padding and other impact-absorbing elements. 

Mobility: Just like how a case’s durability is largely owed to its materials, a pocket knife organizer’s mobility largely boils down to the model’s size. With that said, however, there are other elements that can hugely contribute to — or hinder — a pocket knife case’s travel readiness. In this regard, you’ll want to keep an eye out for abrasion and impact-resistant shell materials (and even possibly weather-resistant outer-layer constructions), grab handles, and sleeves or compartments that can be secured shut for when the case is in transit — such as a zipper or snap-button closure. 

Zero Tolerance ZT997 Knife Storage Bag

Best Knife Organizer For EDC: Even if you’re only somewhat familiar with the knifemaking world, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard of Zero Tolerance, as they’re one of the most prominent brands around — they’re even siblings with both Kershaw and kitchen-focused brand Shun under the Kai Ltd. umbrella. Well, along with making exceptional USA-made folding knives, they also offer this simple, straightforward 18-knife storage bag. Made from sturdy, water-resistant nylon, this bag has a zipper opening and, inside, you’ll find five pockets on each side and a removable center panel with an additional eight pockets. On a budget, this knife organizer is hard to beat.

Bradley Mountain Knife Roll

Best Tool Roll-Style Case: For anyone with a smaller collection (or for anyone that wants a mobile solution for a small portion of their collection), you can’t go wrong with the Bradley Mountain Knife Roll. This simple storage container boasts a heritage-style construction of 18-ounce water-resistant duck canvas and has a simple leather strap for security purposes in transit. It also has a dedicated pocket for a whetstone, so you can keep your blades razor-sharp on the go, as well. Perhaps best of all, this tool roll was manufactured entirely in San Diego, California. For smaller collections of EDC knives, this is a tough organizer to beat.

Spyderco Large SpyderPac

Best Hanging Knife Storage System: Another noteworthy knifemaking brand that has expanded into the realm of storage solutions, Spyderco’s Large SpyderPac is the perfect solution for anyone with an extensive collection of everyday carry knives and a fairly tight budget. The exterior of this roll is crafted from Cordura nylon (offering great durability and natural water resistance) and the pockets are built from transparent plastic so you can see each of your knives inside. Best of all, it comes with a simple carry strap that can double as a hanger — so you could theoretically put your whole collection on display in your home, workshop, office, or wherever else.

Vault Case Secure

Best Knife Case For Travel: In the off chance that you need a knife case that you can fly with — as a checked bag, not a carry-on (for obvious reasons) — your best bet might just be one of the offerings from Vault, like the Vault Case Secure that you see here. That’s because, along with having a pretty expansive and versatile modular interior, each of these cases comes with its own TSA-friendly lock. That means, in transit, you can keep your blades extra secure without necessitating the lock being cut open when you’re traveling. Although, honestly, even without the TSA-friendly lock, this 6-panel storage system is one of the best available. Our only real issue: the carbon-finished exterior isn’t actually comprised of carbon fiber.

CASE KNIVES MEDIUM CARRYING CASE

Best Mobile Full-Collection Storage System: In case it hasn’t become abundantly clear by now, many of the best EDC knife organizers are built by the brands responsible for crafting the knives many of us put into them. Such is the case with this offering, too, from Case Knives. In this case, we’ve chosen to focus on the medium-sized option, although there is both a smaller and larger size, should you so desire or need them. This one boasts space for a whopping 42 individual knives, has a soft cotton lining with foam padding on the interior, and the exterior is crafted from leather for a bit of style and extra protection. And the whole thing is topped off by a pair of handy suitcase-style carry handles.

Nalpak Pelican Vault V100 Knife Case

Best Ultra-Rugged Knife Case: Pelican’s absolutely outstanding hardshell cases seem like shoo-ins for pocket knife storage, as they’re already practically indestructible. However, it took the folks at Nalpak to really bring this dream to fruition by giving the said cases suitable internal organization, which is what you can see here in the Nalpak Pelican Vault case. Pop open the push-button latches and you’ll find twin removable foam panels, each with space for eight individual pocket knives — making the case capable of holding up to 16 in total. Finally, the whole thing is topped off with a secure stainless steel lock, should you want to keep your blades even more secure.

Castlecreek Collector’s Cabinet Display Case

Best At-Home Storage System Pick: Not everyone wants to put their precious, beloved folding knives in a dark case or tool roll, only to stash them away in some dark corner. Rather, some of us want to put our favorite tools on display. And the Castlecreek Collector’s Cabinet Display Case is the perfect method for that. This vintage-style piece is built from solid wood and features seven pull-out drawers large enough for at least one knife per drawer (but likely many more). And, for your pride and joy, the top shelf slides in beneath an exhibition window, so it’s always in eye-shot. Best of all, the drawers are also large enough to house fixed blade knives, should you prefer to keep non-folders inside of it.

Holme & Hadfield The Armory Knife Case

Best Display Case/Premium Knife Organizer: Crafted from fine materials and boasting a construction quality engineered to offer a lifetime of use, the Holme & Hadfield The Armory Knife Case is a robust storage and organization system for one’s complete knife and EDC accessory collection. Offered in bare walnut or black color ways — as well as in a smaller size — The Armory puts seven of your favorite knives on display beneath a plexiglass case, while directly beneath a felt-lined slide-out drawer provides accommodations for a dozen additional knives plus an extra space for stashing wallets, sunglasses, pens, earbuds, and other EDC essentials. 

The Best EDC Pocket Organizers & Pouches

Want to check out some smaller storage and mobility solutions for your everyday carry collection? Then be sure to head over to our guide to the best everyday carry organizers and pouches for a handpicked list of compact yet well-fortified everyday carry-capable carry solutions.