A Lesson In Smart Hardware Shopping

Article - January 31, 2012

Where do you folks usually buy your hardware? By hardware, I mean hinges, screws, shelf pins, handles, drawer slides, etc…. For years, I did most of my shopping online or at the local big box store. I really didn’t think too much about the cost of the hardware simply because I didn’t know any better. During a big job several years ago (a bookstore), a good friend of mine took me to a local hardware supplier called Clyde Hardware. We needed shelf pins and A LOT of them. I expected the cost to be pretty significant, even for something as small as shelf pins. Much to my surprise, the cost was incredibly reasonable. After doing some more research, I realized that I had been overpaying in dramatic fashion for years! Ever since then, big box stores and many popular online vendors are my absolute last resource for any type of hardware. These places really take advantage of people who either don’t know about or don’t have access to a reliable local hardware supplier.

The reason I am bringing this up is because I recently made a purchase at Clyde Hardware and I thought it would be helpful to show you an example of the insane price discrepancies. I made a relatively small purchase of 18 Blum 1/2″ overlay hinges and 100 1/4″ brass shelf pins. At a popular online retailer, the hinges are about $7 each and the shelf pins are about $0.30 each. If my trusty calculator is right, that’s a total bill of $156 before tax. At Clyde, I was able to get the hinges for about $3 each and the pins for about $0.05 each, giving me a total of $59. So that’s a savings of about $97 on small order of 100 shelf pins and 18 hinges!!!

Moral to the story? Pick up the yellow pages and look for a hardware supplier. You might have to find a friend who has a tax ID number (if you don’t have one) because some of these places might not deal with the public directly. The potential savings is significant enough that it’s worth the extra effort to find these places. Spending less money on hardware means spending more money on the stuff that counts……….WOOD!

Discussion

Ron January 24, 2007 8:05 pm

Marc,
Have you ever done business with Outwater? I was just curious how thier prices compare with Clyde?

Ron

Reply
TheWoodWhisperer January 25, 2007 7:40 am

No I haven’t. I will have to check them out. Thanks for the tip Ron!

Marc

Reply
Ron January 25, 2007 8:41 am

Ooops I just noticed there is an Outwater Hardware Co. of which I have not done business with to date. I was actually refering to Outwater Plastics located here in Phoenix:)

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Gene January 25, 2007 3:40 pm

Depends on what I’m making, etc. Common hardware – the local big box. Small box hinges, etc. Brusso, usually Lee Valley website. For period reproduction pieces, I use Vandykes usually. For real antique hardware, I have a source up in WA that I’ll look to first. She’s known locally as “The Knob Lady”, since she probably has the most extensive collection of antique furniture pulls and hinges in the known universe. I don’t get up there often – long drive – But when I do I’ll spend hours there. She also has lots of antique hand tools and other things of interest to woodworkers and their wives.

Loretta Johnson
Cobweb Antiques
360-794-4256

21928 Yeager Road
Monroe, WA 98272

resppuuv@verizon.net

Reply
Ethan January 25, 2007 6:13 pm

Marc,

How do the Blum overlay hinges compare to, say, Brusso hinges and the really thin brass hinges you can get at a big box store?

Reply
TheWoodWhisperer January 26, 2007 8:18 am

Hey Ethan. Its hard to really compare Blum to Brusso since they are really two different types of hinges. The Blum hinges are Euro-style cup hinges. They usually require a 35mm hole in the door and the other end of the hinge attaches to either the face frame or the side of the cabinet. They are pretty “industrial” looking. Now Brusso, on the other hand, makes some mighty fine hardware. Their hinges are better reserved for your finest projects (jewelry boxes and the like). And you will pay out the nose for them. But they are heavy duty and beautiful at the same time.

And hinges from the big box stores? Well, I use those for shop furniture. :) The metal is usually much thinner and the hinges are just flimsy feeling. I prefer not to use them in fine furniture. But you probably could find a relatively nice set at a big box.

Hope that helps!

Marc

Reply
Dave January 29, 2007 7:15 am

Where was this article 8 years ago when I started in woodworking? I too bought $5 hinges before I knew any better.

I’ve always received great products, prices and service from Woodworkers Hardware. I live in the midwest, and my order is delivered to my door usually the next day (they are located in Minnesota).
http://www.wwhardware.com

Dave

Reply
- John Davidson December 19, 2011 6:01 pm
  
  I checked them out. Great prices. Thanks.
  
  Reply
- herp January 31, 2012 8:24 am
  
  Ditto. They’ve also got great prices on extension slides… definitely check them out.
  
  Reply
- Dan Fox February 1, 2012 11:38 am
  
  I use WW Hardware a lot myself. They have everything at very low prices. Big Box stores also have a poor selection – especially drawer slides.
  
  Reply
dave mccracken February 4, 2007 8:22 pm

my vote also goes to woodworkers hardware they have good prices and they are super nice .Also i really enjoy your site marc it reminds me of the furniture guys

Reply
chris k July 26, 2010 12:40 pm

I just asked on a wood forumn where people get their hardware for small boxes because the big box stores are too expensive.

Reply
TerryMcK January 31, 2012 7:55 am

In the UK I normally buy Brusso hinges, drawer slides ec from Rutlands.co.uk
They are pricey and top quality but the import duty has been paid and is probably a lot cheaper than if I was to import direct from Lee Valley.

For screws the local big box stores are acceptable. I also use a lot of stainless steel machine screws (allen hex screws) to do things like bolt on handles (rather than wood screws) and get them from a company called modelfixings.com or modelfixings.co.uk

Their prices are really good and they also do a range of allen socket head wood screws to from #2 to #6 in various lengths.

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Eric Sweeney January 31, 2012 8:11 am

Marc,

You are absolutely right! I discovered Clyde’s last year when I was making my shop cabinets and needed hinges for frameless cabinets. I was shocked at the difference in price versus the big box stores. They are now my default place to buy hardware.

Reply
Wilbur Pan January 31, 2012 8:15 am

“Spending less money on hardware means spending more money on the stuff that counts???.WOOD!”

Although it’s always good to save money where you can, I would say that if you were going to incorporate hardware into your project, that it counts as much as the wood you select. There’s nothing like a cheap looking pull to ruin the effect you were trying to get by selecting the best looking grain for the show areas of your project.

By the way, some of the comments above are dated from 2007. Did you incorporate a Tardis into your website?

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer January 31, 2012 8:49 am
  
  Just to clarify, I didn’t mean that folks should buy cheap hardware, rather, they should try to save as much as they can on the hardware they choose. And many times it’s as simple as changing the source. I totally agree that people should pick up high quality hardware for their projects.
  
  As for the date, I am repurposing some older articles….giving them a facelift and bringing them to the top of the pile.
  
  Reply
Mark G January 31, 2012 9:33 am

Apparently in Austin we don’t have a old fashioned hardware store that has a good selection of hinges. Blum hinges can only be found at Woodcraft and local wood suppliers. Our prices are not as attractive. When buying in quantity

Perhaps Clarks can expand. I hope it is successful.

Here’s a site a friend of mine created on selecting hinges:
http://www.solowoodworker.com/wood/hinges.html

Reply
Josh Monroe January 31, 2012 9:39 am

I have frequently purchased hardware from Ebay. You have to be careful to look for brand names (there are quite a few knock-offs that are of poor quality, they normally say that they ship from China or Hong-Kong).

When we redid our kitchen cabinets, I got something like 50 Blum hinges for under $100 (including shipping and screws). I only needed 30 of the hinges, but I plan to use the rest for things like shop cabinets, and various other projects.

Reply
Curt Stiles January 31, 2012 9:40 am

Does anyone know of a good place (preferably in the Dallas area) to find good, affordable wooden sash window hardware and parts? I’ve been pressed to find pulleys for under $30. Somewhere, there has to be a pulley that was not hand forged by Tibetan monks.

Reply
- Brent February 1, 2012 7:56 pm
  
  Curt,
  Not in Dallas but here is a web source for sash pulleys with fairly reasonable prices. http://houseofantiquehardware......gory.73/.f
  Otherwise you might search for an archetectural antique place in the DFW area
  
  Reply
Todd Clippinger January 31, 2012 10:32 am

Spread the good word brother!

Sourcing hardware is something that I am often sharing with woodworkers. Not really knocking the typical woodworking suppliers ilk WoodCraft and Rockler, but woodworkers should be buying at the same places the cabinet makers are.

They are open to the public and very competitively priced when it comes to drawer glides, shelf pins, hinges, etc.

One of my local suppliers is now serving customers online. A&H Turf is the store and you can check them out.

http://ahturf.com

Yes, if you call or message them they really are answering locally here in Billings, MT and they know me if you ask;)

Reply
Sam January 31, 2012 11:22 am

Has anyone compared the prices at grainger? I thought they would be pretty cheap but their prices seem to be very high. It looks like the hinges they carry average about $12-$13.

Reply
Jerry January 31, 2012 1:03 pm

In San Diego, there is The Hardwood and Hardware and they have a great collection of Blum euro style hardware and it is significantly cheaper than the Rockler just up the street. I’ve never bought this type of hardware from say a Home Depot — didn’t even know they carried it. TH&H also is very helpful, Euro hardware can be confusing and I got a 15-20 min tutorial from one of their guys on half crank, full crank …

Reply
Chris Verlanic January 31, 2012 1:52 pm

I am actually an associate at A&H Turf and Specialties (www.ahturf.com). Our whole mentality is to provide the best hardware at the best price. We ship all over the world, and we have no sales tax. Also, on large hardware orders we will offer special pricing. Feel free to check out the website or give us a call at 1-800-548-6323

Thanks,

Reply
Derrick January 31, 2012 2:18 pm

FYI. I tried the Clyde Hardware website but it looks like its under construction and it doesn’t say when it will be back up.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer January 31, 2012 2:26 pm
  
  They are pretty much a brick and mortar local business kind of a place. I don’t think they have any web presence at all.
  
  Reply
Todd Clippinger January 31, 2012 2:42 pm

Other places I have spent a lot of money at are

Wood Werks, Columbus OH: http://www.woodwerks.com/

Keim Lumber, Charm OH: http://www.keimlumber.com/

The COOLEST HARDWARE EVER items are found at these 2 places-

Hafele USA: http://www.hafele.com/us/index.htm

Richelieu: http://www.richelieu.com/produit/index.php?id=-1

Reply
David January 31, 2012 3:25 pm

I have found a few suppliers who prefer to do wholesale transactions (tax id#) but will do a cash transaction (with sales tax included of course) but have a minimum purchase amount. (i.e. $100). They typically don’t advertise this, but it’s always worth asking.

Reply
Derrick January 31, 2012 5:17 pm

Marc,

I think I saw somewhere on your site that you used to live in Temecula or somewhere around there. If thats true do you know of a local pIace for hardware and lumber? I live in Murrieta and you know this place isn’t the easiest to find woodworking materials locally. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer January 31, 2012 5:42 pm
  
  I have no sources for hardware but I used to shop for lumber at Lane Stanton Vance http://sandiego.citysearch.com.....er_co.html
  and MacBeath. But I don’t know if the Macbeath location is still in the area.
  
  Reply
  - Derrick January 31, 2012 5:51 pm
    
    Thanks Marc! Both are only about 30 minutes away.
    
    Reply
Morgan February 1, 2012 7:29 am

Marc,
Have you ever tried Louis and Company (.com), down by the Phx Airport? Wholesale supplier, so you do need a tax number. Amazing selection, a catalog as thick as Grizzly. Not just a hardware store, but they carry formica type products, specialty items for kitchens baths and closets, tools…. well you get the pic. Often they have parts in another branch, and they direct UPS to your shop.

Reply
Ted Ames February 1, 2012 10:54 am

Marc,

Did some on-line checking this morning. Found a Clyde in southeast Tucson. Plan on making a trip to Tucson tomorrow to check them out to get items to finish up my bathroom project. Best to stay out of Tucson this time of year because of the world renown Mineral & Gem show. is on.

Reply
J. Torres February 1, 2012 11:26 am

At last something cheaper in my country, I was really upset checking out prices of products and tools in the USA compared to my country. You have sooo much variety and a lot cheaper. The same happens with wood. But when I read your article and saw the prices you put I was surprised. Here Blum hinges cost about 2$ each one and the brass pins 16,6$ a box of 100… I think the brass pins make the big difference. By the way, I’m from Barcelona, Spain.

Reply
Jay Talbott February 1, 2012 12:11 pm

I was shopping for simple leg levelers today at the local big box stores as well as Ace, and came up dry finding exactly what I was looking for. I checked the Clyde website, but as Marc noted, they don’t seem to have a web presence, and I wasn’t up for driving across town just for a set of levelers. I figured Woodcraft on this end of town would have them, but presumably at a price I wasn’t really interested in paying. I finally found what fit the bill online at McFeely’s, and it was under $10 for a set of 8 even after shipping. Had I known that ahead of time I wouldn’t have bothered driving around…

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VitalBodies February 1, 2012 6:57 pm

This might not be totally aligned with what you are writing about but I went to Ikea and looked in their clearance department and to my surprise were bags of random hardware. Each bag was bigger than a 2 pound loaf of cheese and cost only $4! The bags (5″ by 5″ by 7″ packed full) were absolutely loaded with the kind of stuff you find on flat ship furniture and such. There were many single items I recognized to be worth $4 each or more. I knew I hit the jack pot. The other place to get hardware is the thrift store (sometimes) and the Habitat For Humanity ReStore (always). Your best bet there is to but a lot (it is really cheap) and then just use what do when you do. If you have not been to a ReStore you owe it to yourself to go. They are LOADED with used windows, door, breaker boxes, flooring, hardware and you name it. I can almost always do any household project and find what I need right there in my shop without having to make a trip to town for hardware. So far Amazon beats the local hardware store. I can usually buy what I need in stainless cheaper than the non-stainless at the hardware store for example.

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- jHop March 2, 2012 3:29 pm
  
  One thing I have done is to go to the outlet / overstock stores near me. Locally, there are two I shop at, that while their stock of usual inventory is manufactured in China, they often have buyouts and closeouts of decent stuff. Most recently, I purchased a variety of bannister / hand rail supports and larger hinges for 2 (and later 3) for a dollar.
  
  The problem now is remembering where I stored them…
  
  As for leg levelers, and i wish I could take credit for this one, I read somewhere on making your own out of eye bolts, T nuts, and scraps of wood (like 2x4s).
  
  The first step is interchangeable, but basically clamp the two halves of your foot (2×4) together to drill a hole between the two equal to the shank diameter of the eye bolt. Drill a similar diameter hole in the bottom of your support leg, if necessary, and counterbore for the T nut. Unclamp the two foot halves, and drill out a “cup” for the eye of the eye bolt with a Forstner bit slightly larger than the eye. Place eye bolt into the cup on one side, apply glue to wood but not metal, clamp two halves together, and let dry. (no preheating of oven required.)
  
  If you are so inclined, you can drill a hole for a dowel to run through the eye of the bolt, but it is not necessary, from what I’ve been told. (haven’t done this yet, as the shop has not been unwrapped for the season just yet…counting down the days…) Then, you just screw the eye bolt into the T nut to adjust, and you have something that can be replaced much easier than finding replacement floor levelers. I’d go for eye bolts at least 3/8″ diameter, preferably ones between 1/2″ and 3/4″. I find these in the close out section of the local dollar stores (of every variety, chain brand or not). And scrap 2×4 is fairly easy to find…. usually.
  
  Reply
Shiney5757 February 3, 2012 3:49 am

Went to local big box store yesterday and got two sheets of laminated pine to make some simple quick cupboard doors.
Size 16” x 46” x 5/8
Paid

Reply
Bladeruiner February 4, 2012 5:43 am

The last few projects I used Ball & Ball (local to me) always had what I needed… but not inexpensive

http://www.ballandball-us.com/index.html

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Terrestrial_Woodwerks February 4, 2012 5:34 pm

At our cabinet shop near Madison, WI, we order most of our Blum hardware from HDL. If you have a tax ID number, they’ll certainly do business with you.

As an aside, Grass tends to make nicer drawer slides than Blum these days, with an extra bit of adjustability that makes them handy for inset applications.

Grass’s hinge cups are also slightly more shallow, a big benefit depending on door style (i.e if you have a thin profile near the edges).

Grass products are usually sourced through Wurth Baer Supply at our shop, though it’s a pain to work with them- they don’t publish pricing and you have to work with a rep to get a good value.

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Grantman February 6, 2012 2:18 pm

Don’t forget Horton Brass in Connecticut. They’re online and have a number of hand-forged pieces. The Schwarz used a number on his Anarchist’s Tool Chest.

http://www.horton-brasses.com/

Still a family business, too. Nice stuff. Orion Horton, 4th generation in the business, will take your phone calls.

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Randy K February 8, 2012 9:33 pm

Hey Marc,
I’ve been shopping for hardware on Ebay for a number of yrs. and found it to be a good source for a lot of items. Shelf pins, by the 1,000, cups, screws, etc…

I do a search, then have them listed “lowest price + shipping first”. It is work, but I’m saving a bunch. Specialty hardware, I only buy what I need.

I have more hardware than space. lol Being organized really helps, I order pocket screws by the case. Because USPS flat rate is max. 70 #’s.

Aloha
Randy

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Tom Wilson March 7, 2012 10:01 am

I have used Mcfeelys.com for screws and hardware. They seem to have reasonable pricing and run very good specials from time to time. The harden steel screws they sell are very good.

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Clint March 12, 2012 10:14 pm

I have found deals in both directions. Occasionally, my local store will have some item that is less expensive, better for the task than what I planned to buy, and is just cool to find in the little store. Other times, I get home from shopping and find that I could have bought a box of the same item for literally 50% of what I payed in the store, shipping included.

It pays to shop, but doing business locally is more fun when it can be had, I think.

Reply
johnjohn March 23, 2012 8:31 pm

nice topic. i try whenver possible to buy local and as a woodworker (and it’s inherent ideologies) prefer mom and pop shops over big box everyday… for multiple reasons. even if that means spending a few extra bucks the pros outweigh the cons overwhelmingly. buying strictly cost-minded is smart but i believe in what you put in comes back and keeping the regular local shop alive a couple of extra years vs investing in the anonymous corporate or online structure is the way to go. basically, there are plenty of reasons (one of them being dollars) to be selective in what you support. i’m not so familiar as to how it works in the rest of the country but in nyc customer service, staff knowledge, experience, and and the personal connection and relationships are invaluable.

anyway.. keep up the great work marc! you are inspiring a whole new generation! can’t wait to see the finale of the new bench!!!

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Merideth May 31, 2019 9:01 am

Hi there!
Have you ever checked your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore for hardware? They have tons of stuff, new in packaging, and can be an awesome and economical resource too!

I know this is a years-old thread but I’m somewhat new to woodworking so I’m making my way through all your expert posts and videos

Reply

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A Lesson In Smart Hardware Shopping

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