Aside from finding old tools on my job sites, my greatest tool picking adventures were 1960 to the mid 1980's, at old hardware stores. I worked all over the country and would seek out old hardware stores that were in there original locations. I had just as much luck in large cities as in rural areas. Intercity harbor Baltimore for example. Early 1970's I discovered 3 old stores. I would talk to the oldest guy who worked there about old hand tools. Soon, I was in the back room digging. I found a unhung Beatty Penn. pattern broadaxe head with original paint, Stanley 45 & 55 planes in original boxes, and much more. The best part, they sold them to me for the price that was written on the tool ! The prices were in some cases pre WW I. I think this type of tool buying adventure is no longer possible, but you guys tell me, do you think there is still a chance to have this experience ? It was very exciting to find a old hand tool and be the first person to buy and use it.
Funny you bring this up, Bernie.
Our drywall guy of the last 10 years or so just gave me a heads up last week. Here is how it went.
We were talking about good old tools and such, and how things had changed. He walks out to his truck and comes back in with a 16 oz. Belknap, straight claw hammer and tells me how long he had used it, and how he loved it. He said he, and his dad had bought a pair of them back in the late 70's, the straight claw, and a curved claw and he still had them both. I asked where he had bought them. He replied that he had bought them in the next town over where he has lived his whole life. Now mind you, it has been widely known that this town don't have a hardware store.
I said where at over there? He names a hardware store on such and such street, and how disorganized the place always was, because the owner was a wealthy old man that kept buying out other hardware stores and just stashing the merchandize in his store wherever he could.
I told him I didn't think there was ever a hardware store over there? He said well, the store had been there since the 1800's, owned by the same family, but the old man died in the 70's.
I asked if they had ever sold the merchandize out. He said no, they had more money than they could ever need, and the old mans son had taken it over. I said I never knew of the store, and I wonder if the son would be interested in selling anything left. He said hell, just stop in when its open and ask. I said open? He said yes, the son will go to the store randomly and stick the open sign on the door and sit there. He said the son had been doing that for years, but didn't have any business because no one ever knew when he would be open. He said that's how he had ended up with the Belknap hammers all those years ago. He and his father just saw the open sign and stopped in. He said it was open 2 or 3 times last summer, but he hasn't been in there since the 80's because it was unhandy because stuff was so disorganized. He said if you asked for something, the son who is in his 70's would just start looking, and digging saying I know I saw a pile of them over here? Or was that up stairs? Basement maybe?? He said the son after a little while would then tell you where to start looking and digging!
I told our drywall guy if he is EVER through there and the open sign is up, give me a call at once!
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