ARTICLE – The Swiss Army Knife hasn’t changed much since your grandfather carried one. Same scales, same tweezers wedged into the same slot, same basic tool lineup that Victorinox has refined over the decades but never truly reimagined. Keyport, the EDC company behind the Pivot 2.0 key organizer and four successful campaigns since 2013, sees that design freeze as an opening. Their new Versa58 system replaces the standard plastic scales on any 58mm Victorinox SAK with modular, magnetic panels that accept swappable tool modules. The system requires no glue, drilling, or permanent modification to the knife, and it’s the first standardized modular platform for the world’s most recognizable pocket tool.
Julie Strietelmeier got her hands on the Versa58 prototypes and walked through the entire system in a recent hands-on video. “If you have a 58mm Swiss Army knife, you can take off these scales and create something modular,” she explains. The swap relies on small indentions in each scale that align with the rivets already on the knife, so nothing feels forced or fragile during installation. Julie describes the process as almost effortless: “You just line it up and then you just click it in place. No fuss, no muss, no pain.” It’s a clever bit of engineering that respects the SAK’s existing architecture instead of fighting against it, and the tactile snap of each scale seating into place gives you immediate confidence that it’s locked in. Full reversibility means you can always go back to stock Victorinox scales in seconds, no evidence left behind. Between the simplicity of the swap and the magnetic hold, this feels like a system designed by people who’ve actually fumbled with aftermarket knife accessories before.
Campaign: Keyport Kickstarter
Ends: 6 days left
Where to back: Kickstarter
Compatibility runs deeper than you’d expect. The Versa58 works with any Victorinox 58mm model sporting plastic scales: Classic SD, Rally, Jetsetter, Rambler, Midnite Manager, Minichamp, and others. That’s a wide net for a modular system to cast, and it means most people who already carry a small SAK won’t need a new knife to start building.
Five modules at launch
The opening lineup covers the gaps that small SAK owners actually notice in daily carry. The Pocket Flare is a 3-mode mini LED flashlight built directly into a scale, with a small button that sits flush against the surface to prevent accidental pocket activation. Julie demonstrated it on camera: “When you press it, it has a flashlight on the end. Press it again, it goes even brighter, and press it again, it’s a side light. It has a maximum of 45 lumens.” For context, 45 lumens is enough throw to actually find your car keys in a dark parking lot or light up a trail marker at dusk, not just a novelty glow bolted onto a knife scale.
A Troika ballpoint refill powers the Pen Module, which is a smart choice for an EDC-focused system. Troika refills write smoothly and they’re easy to source at most stationery retailers, so you’re not stuck with proprietary cartridges that disappear from shelves in two years. The USB-C Flash Drive Module comes in 64GB and 256GB USB 3.0 options, fitting the scale form factor without adding noticeable bulk to your pocket profile.
Clip Scale adds a deep-carry pocket clip with a built-in slot for your tweezers or toothpick. Julie pointed out that practical touch in her video: “This one even has a place for your tweezers and a place for your toothpicks. You’re not going to lose that, right?” Anyone who’s fished a loose toothpick out of a jacket lining knows exactly why that slot matters. Both scale variants feel solid against the knife body with no rattle or play. The V Scale offers the same toothpick and tweezer retention without the clip, for people who prefer a slimmer carry.
Every module connects through Keyport’s patent-pending magnetic connector. The click is satisfying and distinct, the hold is firm, and the release involves pressing a small clip on the scale’s edge while applying slight pressure to the opposite side. Magnets self-align the scale as you bring it close, which eliminates most of the fumbling you’d expect from a snap-fit system. It takes a few tries to build the muscle memory, but once the motion clicks (literally), swapping tools feels natural rather than fiddly. You can feel each module seat with a firm snap that’s clearly different from a loose or partial connection. The co-development with Dominic Lodovichetti of MaxLvlEDC suggests that real-world carry testing shaped this mechanism, not just spec-sheet engineering.
You don’t actually need the knife
Here’s where Versa58 gets genuinely interesting beyond the SAK ecosystem. The MagMount system means modules aren’t tied to the knife at all. Julie discovered this during her hands-on time: “You don’t even have to have a Swiss Army knife. They’re magnets. They clip right together. So you could get two of your favorite tools and clip them together. And then you’ve got a standalone modular multi-tool.” That magnetic independence turns every module into a potential standalone tool with its own carry logic. Stick the Pocket Flare to any metal surface for hands-free light in a pinch, or pair it with the Pen Module for a tiny two-tool carry that leaves the SAK at home entirely.
The magnetic connection also turns the whole system into what Julie called “a fun fidget tool.” That snap-together tactile feedback hits a satisfying click that’ll keep your hands busy during a long meeting or a slow commute. The magnets hold modules firmly but release cleanly when you want to swap, which means you’re fidgeting with tools you’ll actually use rather than carrying a purpose-built spinner. It’s the kind of secondary function that suggests the design team carries and fiddles with their own prototypes daily.
What it costs and who should care
The Versa58 is live on Kickstarter right now with a starting pledge of $45 and a planned ship date of August. For the EDC crowd, that’s impulse-buy territory, especially when you factor in the modular upside that grows with every new module drop. Titanium scale variations are hinted at for future releases, which means the platform could expand well beyond the launch lineup.
If you carry a 58mm Victorinox daily and you’ve ever wished it did just one more thing, the Versa58 is a direct answer to that thought. The modular approach means your knife grows with your needs rather than sitting static in your pocket for years. Add a Pocket Flare today, pick up the Pen Module next month, and grab the USB-C drive once you realize how useful pocket storage actually is. That incremental build path is what separates the Versa58 from a fixed multitool that does everything on day one and nothing new after.
Collectors who already own multiple 58mm models will find the most mileage here. Swap scales between knives depending on the day’s carry, keep a Pocket Flare module in your bag for emergencies, run a Pen Module at the office when you want something more interesting than a disposable Bic. The mix-and-match potential multiplies fast once you’ve got a few modules in rotation.
If you’re not already carrying a small SAK, the Versa58 probably isn’t your entry point into the format. It’s built specifically for people who love the 58mm size and want more from it, not for someone still deciding between a pocket knife and a multitool. There’s also the standard Kickstarter caveat: ship dates can shift, and early production runs sometimes need a round of refinement before everything feels fully polished.
Campaign: Keyport Kickstarter
Ends: 6 days left
Where to back: Kickstarter
Keyport has delivered on four previous campaigns and they’ve been building EDC tools since 2007, with over 8,500 backers across their projects. That track record takes some of the uncertainty out of backing early. The company’s original Slide key organizer and the Pivot 2.0 both shipped on schedule and built genuine loyalty in the EDC community, so this isn’t a team learning crowdfunding logistics on the fly. You can watch Julie’s full hands-on video here and check out the Kickstarter campaign to see the complete module lineup and pledge tiers.
