How Do You Track Your SAK Collection?

[NorCalJim]

One of our members mentioned using a database (obviously to keep track of a Swiss Army Knife collection).  So, I am curious about what methods others might be using to track their collections.  For those with a single SAK, it can be a simple matter of transferring it back and forth from a dresser to your pocket.  For those with several hundred or more, it would not be so simple.

So...

How do you keep track of your collection?  (Filing system? Database? If database, does it contain a field for photos?  If database, would you like to share a sample record?)

How do you distinguish multiple copies of a SAK model? (Labeled coordinates?)

Example: One member indicated that he has eight Swiss Champs.  Does he keep them in labeled bags or have some other way of distinguishing which is which?

How do you store your SAKs? (Display, Bins, Shelves...)

Any input on one or all of these questions would be most welcome.

[jonon9]

No thats what I have my wife for    She tells me when I have too much 

[SAK Guy]

Track them!!!! And miss out on all the digging, swearing and buying duplicates? Not a chance!

[SAK Guy]

No thats what I have my wife for   

 

[The Lone Wanderer]

I have a Sterlite Plastic multi drawer organizer I got from Target. It has 3 drawers, and each is assigned something. Bottom is SAKs, second drawer is all my folding knives, plus my 2 Moras, and the top is sharpening equipment and knife maintenance equipment.

[ColoSwiss]

I have over a thousand SAKs in my collection. I list them in an Excel spread sheet, and have a hard copy I take to shows. I store them in a variety of plastic boxes, typically the Infinite Divider boxes, organized by several different criteria (maker, size, handle material, etc.) Each box had a sheet with labeled squares listing what's in each compartment. Can generally find something within a few minutes (not always, some things need a bit of digging).

[SAK Guy]

I admire your organizational skills Karl!

[ColoSwiss]

I admire your organizational skills Karl!

Thanks. 

Also have eight note books filled with info on SAKs. Still plenty of gaps in my knowledge however.

[jonon9]

I admire your organizational skills Karl!

Thanks. 

Also have eight note books filled with info on SAKs. Still plenty of gaps in my knowledge however.

Over a thousands SAKs frig!! 

[ColoSwiss]

I admire your organizational skills Karl!

Thanks. 

Also have eight note books filled with info on SAKs. Still plenty of gaps in my knowledge however.

Over a thousands SAKs frig!! 

Several of the Swiss members have substantially larger collections.

Such as Sneider...

[NorCalJim]

I admire your organizational skills Karl!

Thanks. 

Also have eight note books filled with info on SAKs. Still plenty of gaps in my knowledge however.

 

Good stuff!!!  I have learned so much since I started visiting this forum.  Reading about your eight notebooks and seeing how you keep track of your large collection of SAKs, gives me and other members an insight and better understanding of someone who has a vastly more numerous collection than most of us.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[ColoSwiss]

I admire your organizational skills Karl!

Thanks. 

Also have eight note books filled with info on SAKs. Still plenty of gaps in my knowledge however.

 

Good stuff!!!  I have learned so much since I started visiting this forum.  Reading about your eight notebooks and seeing how you keep track of your large collection of SAKs, gives me and other members an insight and better understanding of someone who has a vastly more numerous collection than most of us.

Thank you for sharing!

 

Glad to do it.   

Everyone starts out small. I've been collecting knives for around 20 years. Take it slow and easy at first, until you get a feel for where your interests lie, what the market is like. Remember that you're out to have fun. If your hobby starts to interfer with more important things, its time to step back and take a hard look at it. Good hunting! 

[Poncho65]

So far my collections (SAK, MT and trad folders) are small enough for me to remember by memory I am getting older though and I may need to write some of it down I am glad I have written down what I have on here or otherwise I might never remember it

I keep most of my knives in either Sack Ups knife rolls or other knife holders and my MTs (that aren't carried) in some storage boxes

[cali-SAK-attack]

I admire your organizational skills Karl!

+1 

I am all over the place, Display Case whirly gig peg hanger things (2) for most 58mm , large roll for many misc patterns of SAK's , a lil tin for Wenger , cigar box for doubles/parts knives/knives waiting for new t&t , (2) knife binder/folders - one for ALOX & one for Spartans -waiting for one for Tinkers in mail  , large cardboard  box for New in Package/Box knives .................  I think there a few in my office on a shelf too 

 

[ColoSwiss]

I admire your organizational skills Karl!

+1 

I am all over the place, Display Case whirly gig peg hanger things (2) for most 58mm , large roll for many misc patterns of SAK's , a lil tin for Wenger , cigar box for doubles/parts knives/knives waiting for new t&t , (2) knife binder/folders - one for ALOX & one for Spartans -waiting for one for Tinkers in mail  , large cardboard  box for New in Package/Box knives .................  I think there a few in my office on a shelf too 

 

Sounds like you need a spread sheet for your storage options.   

[MacGyver]

Well, for me (not being a collector), It's relatively easy to keep track of them and remember them all. I just keep them on a drawer neetly packed in their boxes. One box of spare scales and another of spare parts like t&t's, pins, rings, and mini screwdrivers.

[JamesJ]

If your hobby starts to interfer with more important things

Are you saying SAK collecting can interfere with SAK collecting?

[MacGyver]

If your hobby starts to interfer with more important things

Are you saying SAK collecting can interfere with SAK collecting?

 

[glenfiddich1983]

I keep the SAK collection here:



Picture is taken half a year ago. Right now the display is getting too small and I need more space 

I also catalog my collection on this website: http://sak.s70.nl (although i'm a bit behind on updating it).

[LeaF]

I've tried different ways in order to store my collection.
Now I'm using Excel speadshet with lot of sheets and working on creating own database for these purposes.
Also I'm trying to sync status of my collection in my blog: leaf-vics.com

[Chako]

Me, I just buy the most efficient method of locked storage...place them in categories, and that is about it. I go by memory. Mind you, half the fun is going to search in the collection to see if I have that particular model.

[Thunderpants]

I put a barcode and GPS transponder on each of my SAKs so I can check their status and location remotely from my iPhone at any time. A 232 page Excel spreadsheet auto-updates and alerts me whenever a variant I don't own pops up on the used market. Naturally I can track the financial value of each of my SAKs in realtime, so I know when it's time to buy or sell.
If I happen to be the USA and I feel like it's a Tinker kind of day I press a button and my assistant in Berlin jumps on the next flight, bringing me my Tinker. This used to be cooler in the days of Concorde - Sometimes she'd be to-ing and fro-ing across the Atlantic like a a yoyo according to my moodswings. "Did I say Mountaineer? I'm sorry, I meant Swisschamp..."

Just kiddin' - I keep them in a heap at the bottom of a drawer.

[Mactire404]

One of our members mentioned using a database (obviously to keep track of a Swiss Army Knife collection).  So, I am curious about what methods others might be using to track their collections.  For those with a single SAK, it can be a simple matter of transferring it back and forth from a dresser to your pocket.  For those with several hundred or more, it would not be so simple.

I'm not a collector, though I tend to buy interesting models. Like a StayGlo Climber for example. Or the Solo I recently bought.
I've got around 12ish I think. So there is no real need to catalogue them. I do however want to log the specifics of each knife, like manufacturing year and other specific information. I\m working on a little book with information on every tool and knife to determine date easily.

How do you keep track of your collection?
I had an app on my phone and created a database in it. I was a hassle with the pictures however, so I deleted it.
Now I'm working on learning Wordpress to make a site that has my SAK collection on it. It's a work in progress though.

How do you distinguish multiple copies of a SAK model?
I don't have any duplicates. Yet...

How do you store your SAKs?
In a drawer organiser my girlfriend threw out. I rescued it and now it has my entire knife collection in it. SAKs and others.
I'd really like a drawer case or something.

No thats what I have my wife for    She tells me when I have too much 

Mine does that too. 
And apparently every knife is one too many.

[kkokkolis]

I remember them by memory and I have them in my signature, they are just a few.
But I used database for my gems and minerals and spreadsheets for my figures and optics. I like sheets better, they are very flexible. I lost my db info once, when my then Palm (a Sony Clie) was damaged and it was impossible to retrieve the data.

[TES]

i have a pc program, but it is unfortunately in german

[Mactire404]

i have a pc program, but it is unfortunately in german

May I ask what program this is? I can't make out the title.
It looks interesting and I might want to give it a go.

[TES]

i have a pc program, but it is unfortunately in german

May I ask what program this is? I can't make out the title.
It looks interesting and I might want to give it a go.

https://www.amazon.de/Messer-Verwaltung-Verwaltung-Messersammlung-Datenbank-Sammlermesser/dp/B003HLFA86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487340604&sr=8-1&keywords=messerverwaltung

[Mactire404]

i have a pc program, but it is unfortunately in german

May I ask what program this is? I can't make out the title.
It looks interesting and I might want to give it a go.

https://www.amazon.de/Messer-Verwaltung-Verwaltung-Messersammlung-Datenbank-Sammlermesser/dp/B003HLFA86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487340604&sr=8-1&keywords=messerverwaltung

Thanks! 

[VICMAN]

I put a barcode and GPS transponder on each of my SAKs so I can check their status and location remotely from my iPhone at any time. A 232 page Excel spreadsheet auto-updates and alerts me whenever a variant I don't own pops up on the used market. Naturally I can track the financial value of each of my SAKs in realtime, so I know when it's time to buy or sell.
If I happen to be the USA and I feel like it's a Tinker kind of day I press a button and my assistant in Berlin jumps on the next flight, bringing me my Tinker. This used to be cooler in the days of Concorde - Sometimes she'd be to-ing and fro-ing across the Atlantic like a a yoyo according to my moodswings. "Did I say Mountaineer? I'm sorry, I meant Swisschamp..."

Just kiddin' - I keep them in a heap at the bottom of a drawer.

I like the barcode, transponder, and excel spreadsheet  LOL 

[NorCalJim]

i have a pc program, but it is unfortunately in german

 

Very nice!  Thanks for sharing!

Jim