While not a tool pouch, the Manhattan Portage coin purse looks to be well sized for holding smaller tools and accessories.
For instance, you can fill it up with some bits, toss it in a tool bag or pouch, and quickly dig it back out when needed.
You can also of course use it to store keys, coins, ID or credit cards, or other such everyday items.
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It’s available in many different colors, plus a camo pattern.
The Manhattan Portage coin purse is made from 1000D Cordura fabric and is said to be water resistant. There’s a zippered closure and a loop for attaching a small carabiner or keychain.
It measures 4″ wide x 2.75″ tall x 0.8″ deep.
Price: $15
For those of you cringing at the idea of using a coin purse, you can tell people it’s an “zippered EDC pocket pouch.”
I’ve used Manhattan Portage products before (mainly pencil cases), and they’re decently made. I just learned about their smaller pouches today, and am likely to order one myself, as soon as I can pick a color.
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The price seems a tad high to me, but I couldn’t quickly find anything similar for appreciably less – at least not from known brands I’d trust.
ToolGuyDan
For someone unwilling to carry one of these because they think it’ll make them look effeminate, my dad had some thoughts on that. Someone was refusing to play dress-up in public with their daughter, and he said: if the only way people know you’re a man is that you’re not wearing a tiara, you must not have been much of a man to start with.
Nate
I like your Dad.
Michael F
Insecurity and neuroticism are both effeminate qualities. Worrying about not being masculine is, funnily enough, not masculine. Sounds like your dad had it right.
Robert
Stuart, for the initial purpose you mentioned, holding small tools and bits, to me the over ridding function is to easily remember what I have in the pouch or small container. So I would want it transparent. The clear plastic pouches to hold TSA compliant size bottles would work. And you can find them cheap at 1.25 Dollar stores. What this Big Apple pouch has as an advantage is the strength of the Cordura fabric. Nice, but for my foreseeable use, transparency overrides that. I’m going to rely on the protection of the bag or tool box where the pouch is stored.
Stuart
I have a small back pocket organizer with urethane window, and I doubt it’d hold up to any kind of tool storage, especially if tossed into a tool bag or box.
The pouches above struck me as interesting because one could color-code multiple pouches if desired. Maybe blue could hold wire nuts, red for screwdriver bits, and green for spare batteries.
Or for field use, green for fresh batteries, red for NiMH cells that need to be recharged.
Wayne R.
Transparent’s gonna beat “color-coded opaque” for knowing what’s inside – unless it’s for an FNG who doesn’t know anything about what he’s fetching.
I’ve mentioned the heavy clear vinyl bank bags before, and they’ll still beat all the opaque bags for these purposes.
Robert
Stuart, didn’t think of the color coding. Though at $15 a pop that will add up. There’s 14 colors in that picture I could use, because I won’t use purple. But again, I’m pretty gentle on my gear, so transparent is still my likely path.
Koko The Talking Ape
I’d have to agree. I bought several red Husky toolbags on sale, and now I have to check the contents to see which one I have. Labels won’t stick on those bags, nor would they on these little coinpurse things. Color-coding is an option, but you still have to memorize which color means what.
For holding small parts or tools, I use those resealable plastic bags that food sometimes comes in (I have dozens from Bob’s Red Mill. I like their cornmeal.) They’re laminated from two different types of plastic, which makes them amazingly tough, but also not recyclable. The printing on the bags can obscure the contents somewhat. But they’re free!
Jim Felt
Too funny. Ol’ Bob of your Red Mill comment was an occasional client and a very nice fellow. Especially as he basically gave the entire business to his employees a few years ago.
hon cho
I have a Manhattan Portage messenger bag, bright orange, that I use to keep jumper cables and other emergency supplies in my car. I picked mine up at a thrift shop for a few bucks so can’t complain about the price.
As for pouches for small tools, bits, etc…. I have a few old zipper bank bags that work well for the task.
Koko The Talking Ape
Just as another alternative, besides using those resealable plastic food bags that I mentioned, it isn’t hard to sew up your own bags by hand. You can cut off sections of the legs of old blue jeans or work pants and sew one end closed, and attach either velcro or a drawstring to the other end. Maybe not as durable as these Cordura bags, but the material is free and you can customize the size. Making one should take less than an hour. Fine dental floss makes a very strong, easy to handle thread.
MoogleMan3
I’ve been wanting to try this ever since I saw adam savage make his edc bag. I just need a decent sewing machine.
Koko The Talking Ape
If you want, you can just hand sew it. It’s satisfying and surprisingly fast. For this project, turn the section of pants leg inside out, stab the needle though from the top near the two cut edges , bring it around the fabric edges, then stab through the top again. Repeat, making a long coil of thread and the edges, working your way down to the end. Besides joining the two edges, this prevents fraying. For the other side, fold the edge down over a drawing, then stitch down the edge, creating a flat channel for the string. Turn it back right side out and you’re done!
Nate
Sewing machines are tools! It really is worth getting a good one, if you decide to get one. This is a “buy once, cry once” tool. That said, modern sewing machines do have a lot of bells and whistles, and you don’t need all of them. A good sewing machine shop will tell you which one is a functional workhorse. Best salesperson I ever met was a woman in a sewing machine in a little shop in Kansas. She walked my wife and I through the whole lineup from entry to $15k quilting machine in about 5 minutes and we walked out with a $400 Brother. That was in 2010. It was a great purchase. It is a very smooth running machine.
Stuart
I’ve been adding to a list of potential projects and aim to grow it large enough to buy a sewing machine someday.
Consumers models usually aren’t sufficient for working with tool-related materials, such as multiple layers of Cordura, canvas, or webbing.
I look into it every now and then, and the costs for a suitable machine seem to require either a plan to make and sell, or serious dedication to making your own gear and lots of it.
MM
These days it seems that most consumer machines have a lot of fancy electronic features for decorative stitches but that is not of much concern for someone who wants to make things like tool bags, lifting straps, and so on. Instead the ability to sew more layers and thicker material is more important. Specifically look for a “Walking Foot” machine for thick/heavy materials.
The industry standard for sewing things like this is the Juki DNU-1541. That is an extremely high quality Japanese machine suitable for commercial production. There are various knockoffs of it at lower prices. Another good choice is the Sailrite.
If you are looking for a consumer-grade machine that can handle thicker fabrics I was recommended the Bernina 1008 by multiple people. One of them taught sewing classes and found them to be the most “student proof” model she has ever known, and have no problem sewing multiple layers of denim, canvas, webbing, etc.
Scott K
I’ve had a Manhattan portage laptop bag for a while- it has held up very well and is well-made.
TomD
There are “reusable lunch pouches” you can find at Walmart. They’re basically super thick ziplock bags and often have kids cartoon characters on them, and go down cheap on clearance. They’re semitransparent and very durable.
Which is how I have an entire rolling case with various tooling in plastic bags with Encanto characters.
James
🙂
John
Grey and Navy on sale now for $12.
For tools/parts, I’d want to see what’s inside.
John
By comparison, True Value carries a 3-pack of AWP pouches (that are each 3x the size of the tiny Manhattan Portage coin purses) for $26.
Set includes 3 different colors, and each has an internal divider.
Most importantly, there’s a small clear plastic window on the outside for ID purposes:
https://www.truevalue.com/awp-heavy-duty-tool-pouch-3-pk
Stuart
But can you fit any of those in your pocket?
The ToughBuilt ones are even less expensive at $13 for 3. https://toolguyd.com/toughbuilt-zippered-pouches/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C2O0VUU/?tag=toolguyd-20
Farmerguy
For a clear version and a 1 liter size, the Tom Bihn 3D clear organizer cube is well constructed (and priced accordingly)
A smaller 0.4 liter size called their “cubelet” is a very well built similar organizer. Lots of colors available most of the time.
Lots of other size organizer with some having clear sides or fabric sided options. It is a travel bag brand but has utility elsewhere for organization.
Joe H
I’ve been using a tool wallet from Skinth Solutions for nearly a decade and I love it because it’s cuts down on the bulk and keeps things relatively flat in my pocket for my edc load-out. I’ve been wanting to make my own version though out of leather to better accommodate my specific needs but I’ll be using my Skinth Solutions to base it on.
Wayne R.
Oh, that M7 Toollet is pretty slick. I’m likely to get a couple of those (except for being OOS), not for my pockets but to just chuck in backpacks. Never heard of these guys until now, thanks.
Eddie the Hook
I like them, but to me they would have to be another inch or 2 longer to hold pocket tools.
nigeldh
Check LL Bean especially the sale section.
I just found on sale: Accessory Zip Pouch; Lunch Box, Print.
If you go to an LL Bean store you will often be able to get “scratch and dent” Totes at a good price – the monogramed ones that the monograming failed on, or were returned. I love the large canvas Boat and Tote for hauling a 24 pack of water bottles. When working on a volunteer trail build I can throw the tote with water on the back of an ATV, or one person can carry it. Then at the end of the day the loose bottle and returns are corralled in an easy to carry out package.
RCWARD
Saying a coin purse is for tools is a bit of a stretch
Ronald J Kellis
FWIW I’ve carried a change “pouch” LOL since flight school when I got tired of trying to get change out of the flight suit’s deep pockets. I’ve replaced the zipper, yes I sew, twice now on the sewing kit pouch I use because durable small pouches are hard to find. Looking forward to doing some size comparison. For me, color coding would work fine for bit types or fasteners.
Daniel
Darn you Stuart! Always posting cool stuff. LOL
After four days I couldn’t resist and ordered three of them. Two in Red, which will become first aid kits for the Veto bags. One in Camo, no idea what I will use it for, but had to get it just because it was cool! 😀
Stuart
Is it bad that I see this as an invitation for MORE posts on pouches and related gear-carrying products? (maniacal laugh)