Best affordable knives from hardware stores

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
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I believe some hardware shops sell those knives that are used around the house or out in the backyard. These are usually fairly affordable and hardy.

I have seen some of these blades. They are slightly on the crude side but pretty handy to have around the house.

What are some of the knives that you can think of, right off your head?
 
Sears has some nice knives! Some are even designed by Ken Onion!

They also carry Case, Schrade, and Kershaw.

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http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00945563000
 
Are there still any hardware stores in business?

I mean real, old fashioned hardware stores where you can take in just about any sort of part and a friendly, knowledgable sales clerk will say, "That's a widget. We've got those over here. The important things to remember when replacing a widget are..."

Or you can say, "I need the part that goes between the thingamajig and the whatchamacallit."

And he'll say, "I know exactly what you need. We have those over here. Let me help you select the right one."

I'm talking about a store where the hardware is in big bins and sold by the piece if you only need a few, or by the pound if you need a lot, where you can buy ONE screw if that's all you need, and it doesn't come on a blister card.

I don't know if any such hardware stores still exist.
 
Most small towns have hardware stores. In some places there are still general stores that stock hardware, feed and supplies for livestock and sporting goods, including guns.

They are generally not competitive in hardware pricing with Home Depot.
 
I saw a Kershaw Vapor at my local Ace Hardware store. Its not a "real" hardware store but pretty small compared to Home Depot or Lowes. Anyone heard of "Do-It-Best" stores? They sell parts by the piece but also have their own brand. I went there when I didnt know anything about knives so I didnt check to see if they had any knives.
 
Chuck, we used to have a Mom & Pop hardware store within walking distance just as you described. It was a small store but was packed from floor to ceiling with just about anything you might need. The counter had little wooden bins filled with do-dads and what-nots. The space above was filled with items hanging from pegboard hooks with just a little squarish opening to converse with the purveyors. They used an old fashion cash register that you had to press two or three keys at once to register dollars and cents. And I did actually buy just one screw there once.
 
I live in a small town and we have a local hardware store called "Jim's Hardware"......and Jim is always there. He cuts glass, re-screens windows, does UPS, even carries skeleton keys along with cutting regular keys, mixes paint, etc. Heck, he even has Internet access and will look stuff up for you. The guy is really nice and knows his hardware. I always go there first before going to the bigger places. I mean he is only a few cents more. So thankfully there are still real hardware stores out there and I'm lucky enough to live by one.

Mike
 
Live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Pop 215-220K. The area of the city I'm in was once it's own section, and slowly the city built up to it and made it part of saskatoon. The university is walking distance from my house, and I'm on the far corner.

One road on the middle still has a lot of old stores. The 3 best(imo) are the homestyle burgers, drugstore/PO, and mom/pop hardware store[store is about 150'x180']. We're talking 1lbs cooked weight patties and a MEAL is $8cdn(1 basket fills me up). Between the drugstore/po and hardware store you'll find the friendliest staff and pretty much anything but clothes and the groceries[grocery store is a block over].

The same family has owned the hardware store since it opened. Staff is only 10 or so ppl, to cover everything. Everyone knows the store operations, so no "oh I'll ask a manager".
 
We are lucky enough to have one several towns over. Familty business for many years, of course. I had to fix a euro hinge for the kitchen cabinet and needed to find a threaded insert and also a few screws with a shank of a certain size. Went to Lowes first, and got blank stares, with an invitation to search tons of stuff in the hardware department and, after much time, turned up empty handed.

I went to that family owned store, waited in line a short while, spoke to the counter person, who went in back and returned with exactly what I needed, in the quantity I needed.
 
Chuck, theres' still at least one left in NW PA. Small towns have preserved a little bit of what America used to be like.
 
Gollnick,

We have a real live hardware store just down the street. It is an Ace hardware but they have everything you might need and then some. It's been said that they have so much stuff there because every time someone comes in and orders something they don't have, they start stocking it. I'm partial to believing it. The people are pretty helpful and seem to know what they're doing and they even have a pretty good selection of knives (although they are prett pricey). They even have a pretty widespread reputation for always having just what you need if you can't find it anywhere else (other hardware stores routinely send people to them if they don't have it). It's a neat place to burn some spare time.

Later,

Rob
 
In my area, they have True Value hardware stores, all locally owned and operated. Some are really good, like the one in my town, and others are okay. I like that the same family has run this store as long as I can remember. You can buy nails and screws individually or by the pound, get your propane tank filled, and if you're a few pennies short, it's no big deal.

All the kids that work there go to the local high school, so you know everybody. And they all speak english. :rolleyes:
 
While it's not an old fashioned hardware store by any means, I did for several years work for Lowe's and their knives really aren't too bad... when I was there they had Case, Buck, Gerber, and Victorinox for the most part. I met a Case collector or two who would come to buy a knife or two since it's the only place to get the style of handles Lowe's sales.

P.S. You can buy one screw in every single Lowe's I've ever been in. This may be different in the bigger places.
 
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