The Origins of the Utility Set

I first started experimenting with the original factory cases that came with my phone and Maglite.  I no longer have that phone, but I have the wooden model I made of it.

Again, I put Velcro on the back of the cardboard case, and also on the binder.

 So, I began to try to achieve the same thing with leather.  I had never worked with leather before.  Here is my 2nd prototype, March, 2002

At the job I had at the time, I used a binder to carry my work orders.  I put Velcro on the back of my binder, and the other part of the Velcro I put on the back of the phone’s original factory case.

Actually, it worked.  But then I needed to do something with the Leatherman tool.  I made a new phone case out of cardboard.  On the right side, I made the provision to carry the Maglite with Velcro on the back of its factory case and on the side of the cardboard phone case.

This is the exact binder I used back then.  I still use it today.  You might be able to make out where the Velcro used to be.

Hooray!  A leather cell phone case!

But isn't it ugly?!

Eventually, the Utility Set

 began to improve.

This got the large, bulky phone off of my belt and also insured I would have my phone wherever I went.

Now, with one hand, I could carry my binder, my cell phone, my Leatherman and my Maglite.

But isn't it ugly?!

I thought I could make it pretty by putting an attractive polymer clay frame around the window.  That idea flopped instantly.

My Utility Sets changed along with the changes of the phones they were designed to carry, keeping me constantly altering designs in order to keep up.

I still have a few of my later models available.  To see them, click here.

But ah, alas, the smart phones of today have made Utility Sets as outdated as Kodak Instamatic camera cases.