Over in our recent post about Milwaukee’s new tool box, a reader shared his distaste for tool boxes that lack internal organization. While I can understand his position, my take is that it is better to have to add organizing accessories than to have to remove built-in ones.
Milwaukee’s tool box does have conveniently placed open organizational areas at its corners, but most of its volume is empty as with nearly every other tool box out there.
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So what do you do when you want to store small tools or supplies inside a big tool box?
You could just toss them into the large compartment, but only if you want to have to constantly hunt down smaller tools. You could place them in the removable tray, but that’s sometimes not an option. There are many numerous plastic organizer cases out there, but plastic cases are rigid and can be tough to fit inside full tool boxes.
Klein’s zippered canvas bags are another option. There are other manufacturers aside from Klein, but Klein offers a nice selection and is the brand I naturally associate with canvas bags.
These Klein canvas tool bags are available in several sizes and colors. The ones shown here are 7″ tall and 12-1/2″ wide. They are made with number 10 canvas fabric and durable brass zippers.
Do you know what #10 canvas is? I didn’t, so I looked it up. Apparently #10 canvas is heavyweight fabric, with one supplier calling it extra extra heavy cotton canvas. In other words, these bags are made from seriously heavy duty material.
You can use these to hold and organize smaller hand tools, supplies, or parts. The color-coded fabric helps to ensure you pull the right supplies out of your tool box on the first try.
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I haven’t tried Klein’s bags yet, but they look pretty decent and seem to be positively very reviewed. They look to be the perfect way to add some removable organization options to any tool box.
Pricing varies from about $9 to $20.
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mikeh
I love using these canvas bags for organizing within my tool boxes – keep things from banging around against each other. I looked at the Klein bags but they are a bit pricey – HD has Husky bags that come in different sizes, are much cheaper and just as heavy duty…i think Lowes has them also. They also work great for paperwork (receipts, etc)
Clay
I’ve been using four of these bags for a couple of years now and love them. The zippers work great and never jam up. I have a handyman business and do a lot of small carpentry jobs. I highly recommend these bags. And my yellow bag is filled with Klein screwdrivers – love them too.
Chris Fyfe
They save a lot of damage to gear , as they keep dangerous/anti social and abrasive little things from tearing up tools and product . I work a lot out of a Peli. case , with a Platt tool pallet .
I bag chisels and punches , sockets and wrenches , drywall saws , jab saws , and mini hacksaws , etc. If you have a helper , it’s easy to tell him what to grab .
Chris
Nick Marques
I have these in I think 8 colors. You have to buy two packages to get all of the colors and Home Depot only had one of them. I wish they had more colors. I also wish they had a silkscreened area on them to pencil on what was in the bag, in a way that could be erased and relabeled. These are great bags though.
I’m ready for someone to develop heavy duty canvas type packing cubes.
Stan
I have several canvas bags, but most of mine are from Klein though. I have one from Proto though as well. Now both the Proto and the Klein versions aren’t 100% American made, but rather made in USA of global and imported goods, but are definitely worth the price as especially with the cordura version these are built to perform well.
I use the Klein Cordura version exclusively to hold my Klein Tools branded items, but also some electrical items of similar nature and I must confess, despite being dropped (accidentally) on rough surfaces a couple of times, this bag has protected my items perfectly and no damage was done. Now this wasn’t a 300 feet fall, but none the less this could have ended much worse though.
I purchased the cordura version on Amazon a couple of years ago and I’d definitely advise others to read the reviews, as some people seem to have some helpful hints if the zipper should ever become stuck or has some issues. Not sure if the customer images are still there, but there was some a couple of years ago and showed detailed information as well on the product. Apparently these zippers were/are made by YKK though.
Harry J Epstein also sells the Klein model number 5139 and while this only comes in one color, I’ve used this bag to carry some precise objects and has yet to fail in the slightest as well. Sure the cordura version is much more durable, but with what I use this bag for, this model works fine.
OhioHead
I have been using Klein tool bags & (off white) pouches for about 10 years and while expensive they hold up very nicely and protect the inside content.
I highly recommend the colored pouches to be super organized for work or for trips, I bought the colored pouches a year ago to help stay organized on a vacation and the colored pouches are used for both work & play.
Support companies that are keeping manufacturing in the US……..
Stan
Now I wish someone mentioned this to me and in case this point was “lost” in my other post, I agree that Americans should support companies that manufacturer items in the United States of America, however although these Klein canvas bags are American made, they aren’t entirely 100% made in USA.
These are made in USA of global and imported goods. That isn’t to say that these aren’t quality items, as I own several of them myself. They have outlasted some of the other canvas bags I used to own in the past.
However since Klein doesn’t openly list the entire country of origin of this product I wanted to share this with others.
For the record, my Proto version is also made in USA of global and imported goods as well.
Kit
Ah, canvas bags! My first hobby of sewing can do those in many sizes and configurations!
I see leather crafting as an extension of sewing and plan for making some leather covered cases and bags for some of my tools.