On Saturday, November 22, 2014 10:46:02 AM UTC-6, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

They embody the old retail store value. Remember them from decades ago?

Boy, do I! And how I miss those stores. 40 years ago San Antonio was still a good sized town, but still a sleepy little blue collar/ranching town in a lot of ways. We had those little "Mom and Pop" stores everywhere. And until about 20 years ago, they were still in the out lying areas around us.

I could go into the store I liked and there were about 3 or 4 guys I saw regularly, each with a specific set of skills. One guy knew the most about power tools, one guy about all manner of hardware, and one knew most about general repair items and "new stuff". They wouldn't talk to you on the phone except to tell you if that had something in stock. If you had a question you had to drive over and see them. Sitting here on a cold, rainy Saturday morning now, I am reminded of their old Waring 30 cup coffee maker that sat out on the end of the counter that had a old coffee can with a slit cut in it marked "coffee fund". I loved those stores... they smelled like rubber tool cords and 3in1 oil.

The advent of Builder's Square, Home Depot and all the other big boxes gave so much more selection and better pricing on the same exact stuff (remember, they weren't always just Chinese importers with store front outlets) that the old hardware stores couldn't hang on.


Our local Woodcraft is higher priced than many other store, but they
offer one thing the discounters do not - - - service. For the first time
buyer of a tool, you can get plenty of free advice on how to properly
use it. Advice on how a finish will work. etc. You don't get that at
Amazon or the big box stores.

Many do not need that service and are unwilling to pay for it. That is
why WalMart thrives and most old time department stores closed up 30
years ago.

Sadly, our local Woodcraft is chock full of self important gas bags that give more wrong information than right. Some are down right f'in idiots, yet that doesn't give them a second's hesitation of spewing out bull****. If they don't know something, they will simply make it up. And these guys are shameless, if they watch the store video that demos a product, the will hoist up their pants and talk about it like the have been using that product for years.

There are a couple of guys that have some particular skills, but they know ONLY of their chosen hobby. None have ever been in business doing the things they talk about. None have ever supported themselves as craftsmen doing the things they speak of with such great authority. None have ever made a living as tradesmen. They are book and video educated, word of mouth (including accepting the opinions of their fellow gas bags)educated guys that have little or no practical experience.

Top that off with the fact that I have seen the EXACT hand tools in Harbor Freight that I saw last time I was there along with the fact they are generally overpriced on everything to begin with, and there is no reason for me to go in a Woodcraft store. In the last 20 plus years, I have been in the Woodcraft 3 or 4 times to pick up an item (like a 3/8" pattern cutting router bit) that I couldn't wait for. From my friends that still go over there to meander around on a slow weekend, they tell me nothing has changed.

That being said, I have talked other guys that have exactly the opposite experience at their local Woodcraft. I think the flavor of the store has a lot to do with the fact the are franchises, and the owner has to set the tone for the attitude of the personnel and the skill level at which they hire.

Robert