Local, independently owned old-timey tool stores

[noahwins]

I thought it would be cool to make a thread of brick and motar, independently owned tool-only stores in your area (not hardware stores like Ace, True Value or chains like Harbor Freight, etc.).

Here are a few of my favorites in the Bay Area:

Bonanza Tools, East Oakland. Like a mom n' pop Harbor Freight but better, chock full of cheap Taiwan, Chinese and Indian tools. There's a second Bonzana down the block that has military surplus, workwear and camping gear.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bonanza-oakland

K-119 Tools, San Bruno. Just go check it out, you'll be blown away.
http://www.k119.com/

Tooland, San Carlos. Tons of high quality tools like Wright, Wiha, Wera, Vessel, Proto, etc. The only place in the Bay Area that had a special Lisle windshield weatherstrip installation tool I needed that day.
https://www.tooland.com/

I made a Google Map with locations that I'll add to as this thread expands.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...h2iNVs1&ll=37.46887517717041,-122.2449287&z=7

 

[jd_1138]

Great idea. I added JWB Supply (30 minutes south of Boardman in NE Ohio).

 

[noahwins]

Added Hida Tool in Berkeley. Premium Japanese woodworking tools. Also has kitchen knives and sharpening stones. Friends got me the last kitchen knife I will ever need from this place. Jaw dropping Japanese joinery handbooks and manuals. Must see if you're in Berkeley.

http://www.hidatool.com/

 

[IUEC Medic]

Hayward tool on foothill. Hayward, CA

It’s huge. It’s a bit pricey and the people in there aren’t very helpful, but I go there rather often because they have a good Selection.

I’ve been to K119, it’s awesome.

 

[Movin/on]

Whenever I'm back in Michigan from Oregon, Performance Line Tools on Telegraph Rd. in Pontiac Mich. is a must visit and buy store. Selection is next to anything you'd ever need.
Movin/on

 

[intillzah]

The Big Tool Store - Derby KS

Rose Motor Supply - Hutchinson KS

 

[Mustang1167]

Hamilton tool and supply company Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

It’s an amazing building stacked full of new and used tools. Four story building with basement completely filled.

 

[MWEric]

S.F. Travis in Cocoa,Fl. Amazing place. Only place I’ve seen a gas powered 1/2” drill.

 

[mikebaker1129]

Empire tools
6327 W34th St.Houston,TX
Wood working tools ,SK tools , Wera,Wiha, bondhus, Klein, some Proto, wood replacement handles,welding gear tons of stuff, including a wall of shame with photos of shoplifters caught in the act!

 

[noahwins]

Added to the map, keep 'em coming.

As big as the Phoenix area is, with as many cities and people we have, and as many auto shops as we have, I've yet to find any small independent tool sources. Just big box stores and other corporate shops (Fastnel, Grainger, etc.)

There's that level of customer service and product knowledge you can't get from Home Depot or Lowes. You might pay a little more but the money is kept in the area, not going towards some CEO's second vacation house. And they can usually order anything they don't have in stock.

 

[WittHay]

KMS Tools has a monthly sales catalog with flags on items of notable COO. Brands like Proto USA, Knipex Germany, Klein USA, Stabilla Germany, Olfa Japan, Tove Sweden plus everything else from Festool to GearWrech, ESAB welders to IR air compressors.

Local owned parts stores like Lordco can have any common Milwaukee, CP, Makita, OTC tool within 2 hours and sell equipment like Rotary lifts and AC jacks

Industrial stores like Raider Hansen, Wells Industrial, BC Fasteners have the complete line of Milwaukee, Makita and Ridgid plumbing tools in stock in store. Proto, Irwin, Lennox is also in stock

All these stores are in Langey, BC, Canada. The companys mentioned are BC owned and have only branches in province except for KMS with has 2 or 3 stores in the next province Alberta

 

[noahwins]

KMS Tools has a monthly sales catalog with flags on items of notable COO. Brands like Proto USA, Knipex Germany, Klein USA, Stabilla Germany, Olfa Japan, Tove Sweden plus everything else from Festool to GearWrech, ESAB welders to IR air compressors.

Local owned parts stores like Lordco can have any common Milwaukee, CP, Makita, OTC tool with in 2 hours.

Industrial stores like Raider Hansen, Wells Industrial, BC Fasteners have the complete line of Milwaukee, Makita and Ridgid plumbing tools in stock in store. Proto, Irwin, Lennox is also in stock

Give me cities and I'll add them to the map so long as they're independent and not part of big chains like Fastenal or Grainger.

 

[Brownsfan]

Great idea. I added JWB Supply (30 minutes south of Boardman in NE Ohio).

Ill have to check it out. Ill add one. Spartan tool Columbus. Tons of quality stuff there.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Hje! Hje!

 

[Indexmill]

We ain't got none in Raleigh.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Well guess I'm going to K119.

 

[6PTsocket]

Eppy's Tool Club Brooklyn, NY and Howell, NJ. Automotive tools only. They are open to public and online but you get a better price fo a $12 annual membership or a bit more off for a $60 lifetime membership. Full stocking SK dealer. All the garage brands. You can match his club prices online but he provides instant warranty service. A lot of Sunex, Gearwrench ,IR, too.

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[ATC]

Nothing like that around here that I know of...

 

[driftpin]

I thought it would be cool to make a thread of brick and motar, independently owned tool-only stores in your area (not hardware stores like Ace, True Value or chains like Harbor Freight, etc.).

Here are a few of my favorites in the Bay Area:

Bonanza Tools, East Oakland. Like a mom n' pop Harbor Freight but better, chock full of cheap Taiwan, Chinese and Indian tools. There's a second Bonzana down the block that has military surplus, workwear and camping gear.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bonanza-oakland

K-119 Tools, San Bruno. Just go check it out, you'll be blown away.
http://www.k119.com/

Tooland, San Carlos. Tons of high quality tools like Wright, Wiha, Wera, Vessel, Proto, etc. The only place in the Bay Area that had a special Lisle windshield weatherstrip installation tool I needed that day.
https://www.tooland.com/

I made a shareable Google Map with locations. Anyone with this link can add to the map. Type in the name of the store or address in the search bar, then hit the Add to Map button.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...h2iNVs1&ll=37.46887517717041,-122.2449287&z=7

Well guess I'm going to K119.

A San Francisco business: Discount Builder's Supply, 1695 Mission St. No Big Box retailers like Orange or Blue/White in the city. http://www.discountbuilderssupplysf.com/# My brother has worked there many years, he's a former union carpenter. If you need assistance in plumbing, look him up. He gets kudos frequently on yelp.

My brother also mentioned K119 as a good location.

 

[vavet]

What a great idea for a thread.
Here’s the only one I know in my area. It’s weird... nothing is priced. You have to ask because your account type determines price.


Hanover Tool
10417 Dow gill rd
Ashland va 23005

Second location
1701 w hundred rd
Suite d
Chester Va 23836

 

[noahwins]

A San Francisco business: Discount Builder's Supply, 1695 Mission St. No Big Box retailers like Orange or Blue/White in the city. http://www.discountbuilderssupplysf.com/#

Thanks for the location but I'm going to leave this off the map of tool stores. Maybe we can make a separate thread with independent hardware and building supply stores like this one.

 

[tarbellb]

Denver CO :
Charlie's 2nd Hand Store, INC.
2227 Larimer St. Denver, CO. 80205
Absolutely a must stop and shop, in downtown Denver.

Chico CA (Norcal)
Collier Hardware
105 Broadway St, Chico, CA 95928
Old school hardware store

Skyway Tool Center
2499 Bruce Rd, Chico, CA 95928
Good tool source


Los Angeles CA

Westwood Power Tools
4824 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Lots of quality brands and good service

 

[noahwins]

Westwood Power Tools
4824 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Lots of quality brands and good service

I used to live in Palms and Culver City. Love that place.

Added all except the hardware store. Tool stores only for this thread or else it will be too broad a range of stores to manage on the map.

 

[jsackin]

The Yard, Wichita Kansas - Aerospace tools and other weird stuff.

https://www.theyardwichita.com/

 

[donovanl12]

For my fellow South Floridians:

All American Tool Company
241 SW 31st St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

They have all kinds of stuff in a small warehouse you can walk around, tools like SK, Gearwrench, VIM, Lisle, and more. Picked up a couple of Vampliers last time i was there, same price as Amazon.

 

[driftpin]

For my fellow South Floridians:

All American Tool Company
241 SW 31st St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

They have all kinds of stuff in a small warehouse you can walk around, tools like SK, Gearwrench, VIM, Lisle, and more. Picked up a couple of Vampliers last time i was there, same price as Amazon.

I posted that one, and a few others, in the long-running thread, that old tool store down the road They used-to sell used floor-standing tools, it's the kind-of place you needed to keep coming-back to visit, to see what current inventory was. They still have that stuff, but not as-much as they used-to. I have an account there.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=152561&page=11&highlight=american+tool See post #209


Quote:
Originally Posted by driftpin:
A San Francisco business: Discount Builder's Supply, 1695 Mission St. No Big Box retailers like Orange or Blue/White in the city. http://www.discountbuilderssupplysf.com/#

noahwins said:
Thanks for the location but I'm going to leave this off the map of tool stores. Maybe we can make a separate thread with independent hardware and building supply stores like this one.

driftpin said:
I see you're in Oakland, so the East Bay. You must-be familiar with the politics (and traffic) of San Francisco, they won't allow Home Depot or Loew's inside the city limits. The store sells a lot-more than tools, either power or manual, and they do sell building supplies, along-with being a hardware store. No, they aren't only tools, but it's pretty-hard to find within the city limits the variety of tools they do sell, located at one place. You get to-set the rules on the thread. However including them may keep someone from a lengthy trip outside the city limits to buy needed tools.

Maybe a link to the other thread I mentioned, so someone could do a search based on their geographic location?

 

[toddoky]

McFadden-Dale Industrial Hardware has multiple stores in Southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

 

[catron44]

I'll add some woodworking and power tool places.

Tools plus in Waterbury, CT
Coastal tool in West Hartford, CT
Tools for Working Wood in Brooklyn, NY
Ace Tool in Wantagh, NY
Dynamite Tool Company in Bohemia, NY
Paramount Tools in Farmingdale, NY

Each of these places have an online presence except for Paramount.


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[GTO]

Two stores,one NJ the other in NY
https://www.eppys.com/store-locator.html

Eta Sorry did not see post #18 from page 1

 

[senlow]

Denver CO :
Charlie's 2nd Hand Store, INC.
2227 Larimer St. Denver, CO. 80205
Absolutely a must stop and shop, in downtown Denver.

Charlie's is one of my favorite stores. My daughter used to live in an apartment across the alley from Charlie's. Visiting my daughter was a good excuse to buy more tools.

 

[DevinJ]

Lakeshore Tool in Lorain, Ohio is one of my favorite places to go. They carry mostly made in USA tools SK, Wright, Proto, Starrett. They have a bunch of power tools too. They can order just about anything you want

2029 N Ridge Rd, Lorain, OH 44055

 

[jim keris]

Tool Shack Jacksonville fl.

 

[Brownsfan]

Lakeshore Tool in Lorain, Ohio is one of my favorite places to go. They carry mostly made in USA tools SK, Wright, Proto, Starrett. They have a bunch of power tools too. They can order just about anything you want

2029 N Ridge Rd, Lorain, OH 44055

Was just there Monday. Great place. Great people to deal with as well. Oh and Performance Line in Pontiac. Awesome store.
Im in Columbus today and tomorrow so as i mentioned before. Spartan tool will be visited

 

[Shade guy]

As big as the Phoenix area is, with as many cities and people we have, and as many auto shops as we have, I've yet to find any small independent tool sources. Just big box stores and other corporate shops (Fastnel, Grainger, etc.)

I'm watching this thread in hopes there is a well kept secret someone in the area will share.

Have you ever been to Fisher Tools in Tempe
Mainly geared toward contractors

 

[jeffmoss26]

Was just there Monday. Great place. Great people to deal with as well. Oh and Performance Line in Pontiac. Awesome store.
Im in Columbus today and tomorrow so as i mentioned before. Spartan tool will be visited

Gonna have to check this one out!

 

[Empty Pockets]

Hje! Hje!

I am suprised that it took so l;ong to bring up HJE. Good folks, there.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Jackson Saw & Knife, Rochester, NY.

Mostly power tools, repair parts and accessories

 

[TLCObsession]

Hardware Sales, Bellingham WA - also an excellent online seller. Hardware, tools, a complete rigging shop, pipe threading etc etc etc!

Hardwick & Sons in the U district in Seattle. Woodworking tools from around the world - most of the timber framers I know stop in to get their fix of Japanese tools you just can't find anywhere else.

 

[mickeyone]

Montaque Tool and Supply Branchville NJ Great selection of hand and power tools<They house the Stihl stuff in old train car attached to building

 

[Seanny]

We ain't gone none in Raleigh.

Charlotte is a desert too.


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