In 1960, 25-year-old Herbert Dischinger started a wholesale business, selling fasteners in Augsburg, Germany. After 13 years, he'd observed that his tradesmen customers carried his products haphazardly, "untidily in bags and boxes." He then designed this metal case with brightly-colored plastic inserts, to make storage and access more convenient:

The product was a hit, and that year, 1973, Dischinger founded Sortimo to sell them.

Today, 51 years later, Sortimo has branched out into tool organizing and vehicle racking systems. But they still make small parts organizers, primarily in plastic:

And, endearingly, they still make a second-gen design of their original metal units. They received a slight facelift in 1995, adding the arc-shaped metal lid stays and rubberized handles.

They come in four sizes and, in Sortimo fashion, a variety of inserts are available.

These are sold in Europe and Australia, but not in the plastic-mad 'States.