The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot

How to Stop Losing Your Swiss Army Knife

The other day, I wrote about the welcomed news that Victorinox is adding a clip to a new folding knife called the Hunter Pro M. It doesn’t mean the iconic maker of Swiss Army Knives will add them to their multitools, but it could be a sign of the future.

Unfortunately, we’re still stuck in a world where losing a Swiss Army Knife is all too common for many people. I always find them on the seat of my car or in couch cushions.

Here are some solutions for keeping a Swiss Army Knife from getting lost.

Get a Suspension Clip

The best and most inexpensive remedy to the problem of Swiss Army Knives slipping out of pockets while sitting down is a suspension clip. Not only are these types of clips cheap but they’re also nonpermanent solutions that won’t mess up your knife.

My recommendation is the KeySmart Pocket Clip.

We’ve been big fans of KeySmart for a while now and wrote a review of the original KeySmart way back in the day. I believe the original idea of the Pocket Clip is mainly for keys but it works excellent as a solution for Swiss Army Knives.

Check out how it looks from the outside:

And here’s how it would hang inside the pocket:

I’ve been using this on my Compact and it transformed my Swiss Army Knife from an occasional EDC with the right pants to my permanent EDC. Since putting this $5 clip on the knife, it hasn’t slipped out of my pocket once.

I find it the perfect companion to a Swiss Army Knife. Pick one up at KeySmart if you want the easiest solution for stopping your SAK from slipping out of your pocket.

If you’re too cheap to afford $5, here’s a DIY SAK pocket clip:

Install a Clip

The most natural and best-looking solution to stop a Swiss Army Knife from getting lost is to put a clip on it. There are a few ways you can go about doing it. If you want it done right and to look professional, contact a modder. Folks like Robert Lessard can do great things with Swiss Army Knives, including adding all sorts of clips and customizations. Check out some of his work:

It’ll cost you, though.

For a less expensive way to add a clip, try something like the NiteIze clips (which I think are made for phones). These use adhesive to stick right on the cellidor scales and work surprisingly well.

They’re not as sexy though — especially those rainbow ones.

Stick It In Your Coin Pocket

When I’m wearing the right pants, I stick my SAK right in the small coin pocket. This is my desired location for carrying a Swiss Army Knife because it doesn’t move around and it’s easily accessible. I’ve never had a knife fall out of my coin pocket.

Unfortunately, not all of my pants have one.

Get a Sheath

Back before Spyderco came along and pioneered the pocket clip, clipless knives were commonplace and had to be carried either in the pocket or in a sheath. Although a sheath can sometimes make you look like that guy who carries his cellphone clipped to his belt, it is a good way to carry large clipless knives like the bigger Swiss Army Knife models.

Victorinox even has a few sleek and good-looking belt pouches in leather and nylon. These really only make sense for larger models though. I can’t imagine carrying a Pioneer on a giant sheath on my belt.

Attach a Lanyard or Fob

As someone who uses a knife for EDC and not much else, I don’t fully understand the love for lanyards and fobs — except on Swiss Army Knives. There are actually five solid reasons why you’d want a lanyard or fob (if you don’t know the difference, read here) on your knife but they make tons of sense on Swiss Army Knives.

One of the main reasons is that it can help keep a multitool from slipping out of the pocket unnoticed and also makes it more accessible when carrying it loose in the pocket. A fob adds some weight to the knife so you can feel it falling out of your pocket in many cases.

Store It In a Caddy

With everyday carry setups becoming bigger and more complicated (just look at the ridiculous pocket dumps over at Everyday Carry with watches, pens, flashlights, keychains, keychain tools, knives, lighters, wallets, trinkets, reminder coins, spinners, beads, etc), people are opting for a more organized carry. An increasingly popular solution is the pocket caddy.

A pocket caddy or organizer is usually a piece of leather that can fit your traditional pocket knife and maybe a pen. Some are even wallets while others are only made for pocket knives. These can be pretty classy and will keep your SAK from slipping out of the pocket.

Grab a Multiclip

Victorinox must know that carrying a Swiss Army Knife is a risky proposition because they have a few options for ensuring SAKs don’t get lost.

The Swiss brand has something they call a Multiclip, which is a belt hanger multiclip you attach to both the SAK and belt. Unlike the suspension clip, this is something that is a bit less convenient because it is physically attached to your belt. That means you can’t just pop out the Victorinox and start using it. Instead you have to actually unclip it.

Here’s a video showing off how it works:

It’s pretty easy to take off but it does require an extra step. On the other hand, it ensures your SAK never gets lost.

Let us know how you keep your Swiss Army Knife secure.

8 Comments

  1. The small S-Biner should likely work.

  2. I use a ~ $ 25 Victorinox sheath that I gave one star on Amazon as its stitching started coming off within a year of hardly any use on belt and lying in a pocket of my bag!
    Good grief!
    Also, the Velcro is pretty low quality. One day when I am totally sick of it, I shall stich in two neodymium magnets.

    Till then, it is good enough and handy enough for my Swiss Champ Plus.

    Ra.

    • I have several methods depending on my mood. I often just keep it in my messenger bag. I also use a clip but the chain looks a little to pretty for some purposes. I also use a simple carabiner and attach it to a belt loop or to the outside of my messenger bag or indeed anywhere. Finally I have a paracord neckless for when I want to take it to someplace outside town.

      An extra chain to attach to the belt clip by the way is very useful and can either lengthen the amount of space you have to use the knife (by attaching one knife to another) or attach directly onto the belt clip to multiply the number of objects available. Or any combination thereof.

  3. I love that matching purple lanyard! Victorinox has been selling a red neck lanyard with a nice little snap to match the traditional red knives, but I sent them a suggestion that they design a specific neck knife fixed blade with wooden scales, incorporating an edelweiss pattern in the wood, working with inlaid pieces of the various handle colors they already use. Sort of tribal looking. Not too feminine for a man to wear, and definitely a decorative, sporty piece for a woman. Like most Swiss Army Knives, they’re too useful to scare the sheeple.

  4. Tim, you manage to come up with these interesting articles about the nuances and such niche type aspects of knives. I like this subject because anybody can borrow these ideas or purchase various clips, rings, paracord, lanyards, chains, etc., and adapt their knives or choose how to carry them.
    On the fob idea, I think they look cool, but on the little CRKT (Can’t remember the name right now) neck knife that little length of braided cordage actually helps me to hold the knife even though it’s handle is too short and my pinky finger can’t grip it. And I would imagine even on larger/longer handles it would facilitate retrieval when it falls deep into a pocket or be designed to attach to a lanyard or belt in situations where dropping the knife would mean losing it.
    My usual carry method is to clip my knives to my cargo pockets with the knife inside. This allows me to lift the pocket’s flap and pull out the knife. To put it back requires both hands, but it’s comfortable and accessible for me.
    But now one of my new “hobbies” will be rethinking and experimenting with various mods or clips and such to carry my folders. And I think a couple of good glues would be important to attach clips when holes can’t be drilled deep enough or just isn’t an option.

  5. The Gerber Defenders are great clips with a pretty generous length of Dyneema cord (similar to KEVLAR). The little attachment ring is easily
    Unhooked from your knife or whatever you attach it to

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