When I lived in the Seattle area, I learned about McLendon's "If they don't got it - you don't need it".
Maybe, but part of it is the desperate attempt to find a 1/4-20 nut in a wall 15 feet high of small boxes and plastic bags with microscopic labels on them. I hate HD for hardware. Been to Ace twice today for bushings, in & out.
not much better around here, there's a reason there known as "homley and desperate" and "less of what eagle sold" love the local ACE here they all know me by name including the new hires , lol , maybe 4 times a week average has something to do with it , some times I spend so much time in there and help others find things , they joke about putting me on pay roll
We have an Ace and a Lowe's within a couple of miles in little Claremore, OK. Lowe's has most of the general stuff I need, but like many others have said on here, it's pretty hard to stump Ace. Whoever does their buying knows what people need, and they have more of what I need in less square footage than any other place around, well organized, easy to find. Grade 2, 5, 8. Fine thread, coarse thread. Metric (ugh!). Stainless. Button head. All kinds of little miscellaneous hardware items. Last project, I used part of a chrome sink drain pipe for a section of upper radiator hose (like the flatties do). Current A coupe has a small chrome towel hang fixture for a radiator ornament, and the air cleaner covers are two modified SS kitchen canisters. Knobs for the swing out windshield brackets are hardware items. Radiator screen is the aluminum insert part of a lower screen door protector. And on and on. They also have a decent selection of steel and aluminum pieces. A bit pricey, but for small projects, mighty handy to have available quickly.
Coolist old timey hardware store I've seen in years: True Value on the Main Drag in Dewey OK. Looks like they have it all including the proper attitude.
My Ace Hardware is a True Value, I think Ace bought it out but kept the name. Anyways, I live in their hardware isle, plumbing isle too for petcocks and brass fittings. My store has a HUGE chrome hardware section. On a side note, I went and bought a 1/4 brass pipe coupler there monday for $4.89. Can you believe had I gone stainless it would have been cheaper!?!? The salesman told me they had to take all traces of lead out of their brass fittings, so naturally prices went up. Then while trying to braze the fitting on a gas tank I melted the fudgin thing.... should've just ripped up that $5 and threw it away.
Yep, brass fittings have gone loco, I was just looking at them this week. Worst part is no matter how many you have, and I have a box that must weigh 10 lbs., you never have the right one.
Debbie Supply in E. Rochester, NY. Carries all kinds of unique stuff. Haven't found one like it in N.C. yet.
I wish I could remember the owner's name in Greeley. He and I got to be pretty good friends (even after he fired my old GF from the store) The on by the grocery store is where he is at most of the time. They ordered lots of stuff in for me that wasnt stock items, even custom ordered bolts for me!
Pfau's Hardware in West Hartford, CT is the best. It's an old time store, opened in 1940, it's now an Ace. Customer service is tops. That's how they compete with the big box stores.
The local hardware here (Ace) has a helluva selection of fasteners and odd ball stuff in those little pull-out drawers, including POLISHED stainless, if that's your thing.
You may want to pick through that box then head to the scrap yard. You'd be surprised whats in your hand when you leave.
I'm talking about the people that stand in the middle of the aisle, holding a bolt in one hand and a nut in the other, trying to thread a UNC bolt on a UNF nut, and are completely oblivious when you come by with a cart or try to look in the bin they're standing next to. You have to say "excuse me" twice. Only after you say "excuse me" twice. Then they only take a baby step to the side. HD is the worst. Seems the demographic that shops there don't understand with "excuse me" means.
Buddy of mine built an A roadster with a set of American daisys' on it. Didn't have center caps. Searched e-bay and others and found nothing less than stupid prices. Lowes had some aluminum fence post tops that were the exact size. Gave 'em a quick polish and popped 'em on. Still there today, still lookin' good, and a buck apiece, cool.
There was a hardware store in Bucktown near the shores of lake pontchartrain, New Orleans area. It was called 'Shultz Fresh Hardware' They catered to commercial fishermen from the area. Lots of high quality goodies to be had there!
Parkrose is the best. We're in CO now and I haven't found a replacement. Used to go into the Vancouver one all the time. The nice thing is, pretty much all of the help, save for the teenage cashier girls, were super helpful and really knew their stuff. They could always help with project ideas (they'd usually ask what you're building). Great place!
I have a True Value a quick walk from the house that has saved me on more than one occassion. I search the heardware there as well as the Home Depot in the adjoining town. I do the same at Lowes when I'm in Salem 45 miles away. Corvallis also has a mom n pop called Robnetts that competes by having the oddball stuff. 20 miles away in Albany there's a Coastal Farm Supply. There is a guy over there who buys bolts by weight and sells sets of flywheel and pressure plate bolts on ebay. I found some hard rubber balls there that now serve as my inside door handles and geatshift knob. My cab feels solid when you knock on it because I sprayed behind all the inner panels with cans of expanding foam. To be folksy I have the biggest sink stopper I could find plugging the master cylinder access hole in my wooden floor. I plugged the radiator cap hole, the ends of my bed and a few original holes in my firewall with a variety of plastic and metal hole plugs meant for furniture.
Home Depot and Lowe's have pretty much put Ace and any other privately owned hardware store outa business but they carry almost anything I need, cheaper. Unfortunately that's business these days.
Yeah,I have ordered from them in the past but when you are in the middle of a project and you have to get it done that day,,"Ace is the place with the helpful hardware man" My local Ace doesn't have goats but the farmer on the way does,,,ever been to a goat roast?,,yum! HRP
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