I’ve had an extremely busy week, and wanted to take a few moments to decompress for a bit.
“Retail therapy” tends to help. Basically, I stop for a moment, search for a new tool or product I’d like to explore, and then whip out the business credit card and buy something new and unfamiliar to test out and potentially review.
I’m a bit too tired for that right now. But I had an idea. How about YOU guys do some shopping around, even if you’re just browsing, and point out interesting tools you never saw before.
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Where should I send you? Ah – how about the first four independent hand tool retailers that came to mind! I figured that maybe some of my favorite tool shopping destinations could be a good place to start.
First up, there’s Lee Valley.
Ooh, what do you need to know about Lee Valley. Let’s see… they specialize in woodworking hand tools, but they also have expansive selections in other product categories, such as hardware (think cabinet door and drawer handle pulls and knobs), kitchen gadgets, and gardening supplies.
Even if you’re thinking “nah, I’m not into woodworking,” check them out, they have some decent general purpose tools too.
Lee Valley also has exceptionally good customer service. Shopping there has always been an A+++++ experience.
Harry Epstein Co is a fantastic mom & pop type hardware store that specializes in USA-made tools, closeout tools, and more.
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You NEED to see what they’re about.
Shipping can be a little high, which is understandable for smaller stores that don’t have Amazon and Home-Depot-sized contracts with shipping companies
So, when I find something I want to buy, I look for other tools that help to spread the shipping cost. However, by the time I’m done, my shopping cart is filled to the figurative brim. It’s like going to the supermarket on an empty stomach and buying way more than you expected. I love it!
While you’re at it, consider picking up a pair of Eagle Grip locking pliers while you still can.
KC Tool specializes in German hand tools, and carries brands such as Wera, Knipex, Hazet, Gedore, Stabila, Felo, Halder, NWS, and more.
It’s easy to get lost in KC Tool’s listings. KC Tool holds an excellent promo every holiday season for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. While a site-wide discount is never guaranteed any holiday season, start putting together your wishlist now. That’s my plan for sometime next week.
If you don’t have any immediate needs, at least check out their latest Wera Q4 tool deals. Oh – and if you’re on KC Tool’s site, make it a point to check the tool deal of the day.
I’m not yet familiar with DRPD, but I have a feeling that I’m going to be. I’ve heard some good things, and a reader (thank you Fred!) has been keeping the store in my radar.
They carry brands such as PB Swiss, Koken, Nepros, and more. Basically, they carry some of the premium hand tool brands that tend to be very hard to find.
It’s on my to-do list to commission a secret shopper type story – sorry, I’ve got a reviewer in mind already.
If you’re into finer quality tools, check ’em out, I certainly will as soon as I can.
Some of the prices, such as on Nepros ratchets, are a little higher than I’ve seen when ordering from other mainly overseas sources, but i) I like seeing clear in-stock disclosures, and ii) dealing with overseas shipping can be a pain.
They carry enough tools and brands I’m not familiar with – Keiba?? – that my first purchase is definitely going to hurt my wallet. Whipping out my business credit is lots of fun, until the bill comes in.
I look forward to hearing about the tools you guys discover, and about anything you might buy!
fred
I’ve been shopping via Lee Valley for years. Their Veritas line of tools made in Canada are first rate – offering many hand planes and other woodworking tools to compete with the likes of Lie Nielsen.
For KC Tools – I may have been introduced to them by ToolGuyd many years ago. I had previously shopped for German brands like Knipex from sources like Chad’s Tool Box and Mister Worker (in Italy) – but found them to be hit or miss – especially when it came to understanding what was in inventory.
HJ Epstein is by far my favorite online store to browse. They seem to buy up remainders, overstock and NOS items. You never know what you will find on their site. I usually take a look a few times per year – for oddball items as gifts.
Some newer entrants to this category of independent places to shop (or at least compare prices/inventory) are:
https://hausoftools.com/
I’ve also purchased from Crawford Tool, JB Tools, Palmac.net, Toolfetch, Toolshack.web.
For woodworking tools and supplies – Highland Hardware and Tools for Working Wood – are both worth a look.
MM
I’m familiar with Epstein, KC Tool, and Lee Valley, I’ve made multiple purchases from all of them over the years, I’ve always had great service. I’ll second what fred said about Veritas woodworking tools, I have two Veritas hand planes and I feel they are excellent quality at a very reasonable price. I’ve never shopped DRPD but I will certainly check them out.
I’ll throw a suggestion out there that I think a lot of people here might appreciate: Dieter Schmid Fine Tools. They are based in Germany but they ship worldwide. They have a very interesting selection including good value-for-money tools as well as high end ones as well. https://www.fine-tools.com/
A bit more specialized, but I also like Gardentoolcompany.com. Not only do they seem to have some of the best prices online for Sneeboer tools but they also have amazing customer service.
Jeff
Thanks for the gardentoolcompany rec – got my xmas presents for the wife plan now!
IronWood
I love Epstein, check out their video of filling an order on the website. I’d like to stop in if I ever make it out that way.
Tim
I’ve always had great customer service from Lee valley.
Jared
Lee Valley is a perennial favorite of mine. The woodworking tools are top-tier, but they’ve got lots of interesting stuff beyond that.
Good place to buy NWS pliers, Silky Saws and sharpening gear, for example.
If you’re looking for things to buy, check out the Rybička pocket knife, Precision Oiler Pen, the Veritas mini pocket squares or some of their various project kits.
Mike (that one)
All I need to hear was Fred recommended it. In Fred I trust.
fred
Thanks
I (like most of us) purchase tools in quantities that do not rise to the level of providing statistically significant data. I know that if I have had several good experiences with a vendor – then they may be worth my continuing patronage. The opposite might be true for vendors who IMO have “messed up” my orders. But we all filter our perceptions about experiences through the lenses of our expectations. So. what I expect as good performance may not be up to other’s standards. Similarly, any vendor can have a “bad day” – so I’m loathe to deprecate any of them based on a single experience – or recommend others based on a one-off purchase.
MM
I think this is one of the wisest posts I’ve seen on this board.
Koko The Talking Ape
Well said!
It occurs to me that it would be smarter to judge a vendor by how it reacts when things go WRONG instead of whether it goes RIGHT. As fred says, a single problem-free experience doesn’t mean much. But if something goes wrong, that’s usually unusual (I’d hope) so vendors are less likely to have procedures, training, resources, etc. in place to deal with it. Employees might need to take the initiative, take unusual actions, and get approval for them. That’s risky for them.
So if you see some snafu really handled well, then you know customer service is important to them.
IIRC, Lee Valley once discovered one of their products had some kind of defect (I don’t remember what.) They looked back through their records and contacted ALL of their past purchasers and replaced the item. That must’ve been a lot of work hours taken from profitable tasks, and a lot of lost income from sales as well.
MM
When I used to run my machining business I often repeated this principle to my employees, though I don’t remember where I first read it: Don’t view a screwup as a negative thing, view it as an opportunity to demonstrate to the customer just how well we will correct the problem.
The fact is that when someone makes a purchase and it goes the way they expected they rarely think anything of it. However, if there’s a problem you can bet they will tell many people about it. Are they going to be telling those many people about how much the product or the service sucked? Or are they going to be talking about how we went above and beyond to make things right?
Steve L
Second that.
Tomguf
Hear hear!
William Adams
In addition to these companies, I’ve had good experiences with, and appreciate the selections of Tools for Working Wood, and Highland Woodworking.
Peter Antonvich
Yes to highland wood working- they also post a quarterly catalog that I love to browse- I’m local so I pop in every now again just to look at all the tools on display- wife and I have always taken a few wood turning classes there. It’s locally owned and just a great place!
Derek
Been drooling over the PB Swiss SwissGrip screwdrivers at DRPD for a while now. They’re so expensive but they look so much nicer than the standard Craftsman hard handle ones.
Joe A
I just dropped nearly $200 at H Epstein on Eagle Grips. Fast shipping. Wow, these Eagle Grips really nice. Nicer than I ever remember Vice Grips to be. May have to buy more while I still can.
Eric Selander
Another one would be cripe distributing, always something interesting.
Geinsbelt
You can get amazing deals at Cripe. Sometimes you gotta dig a little to find them.
AP
I love posts like these, thanks! TrigJig, Taylor Toolworks, Massca, and Jessem are worth a look as well.
Tom
+1 for Taylor Toolworks. They have some great occasional deals for woodworking tools, and I’ve built out quite a collection of their blemished PEC squares at a fraction of the cost of what I would have paid anywhere else.
Geinsbelt
Every two weeks (paydays) I’ve been buying two Malco products. Last week was two 8” welding clamps and today was one each of the 10” locking pliers.
And as always, a $5 mystery gift and box art to go along with them.
I consider myself a functioning addict when it comes to HJE…
Al
One of my kids has an RPG scope from HJE. Duct-taped it to some PVC to make a marshmallow gun.
It’s also the only place I could find US-made spring clamps and wood clamps
Bought a lot of cheap hockey pucks and rubber pads from Lee Valley to use as painting pucks. They work well on a floor jack and jack stands too.
Great therapy shopping for interesting things on these sites.
Alex Peel
Lee-Valley is also great for gardening tools.
mark
Great post! Had never heard/ordered from Lee valley or drpd and now have some good news places to check out! I need better sources to try out more Japanese auto tools!
For me, I’ve loved hunting deals on kc tool & have found them a great place to buy knipex brand plastic tweezers from. Love these because they appear to be a fiberglass-reinforced nylon (very strong plastic but still softer than metal) and imo a very high performance tweezer for electronics work like fixing games consoles. Kc tool frequently has more rare wera screwdrivers like all their voltage-rated screwdrivers & stuff like pozidrives and good deals of the day too. I have a large list of knipex &wera ready for Black Friday myself! Haha
fred
I don’t order much in the way of auto tools – but I know that Palmac carries the Asahi brand of wrenches and a fair number of KoKen tools. They might be worth a look:
https://palmac.net/brands/
Haus of Tools is also a source for KoKen:
https://hausoftools.com/pages/brands
Mark
Appreciate you sharing palmac Fred!
PJB
KC Tool! The best! Will buy from them every time if they have the item that I am looking to get.
Great experience all around. I have so much Wera, knipex , and stabila from them.
A “go-to” no doubt, and the “tool of the day”… brilliant and great deals.