Stuck in the middle: part 2. And a shout-out to Pini Ace Hardware.

Maybe it’s just me, but the flipside to the big box stores is sometimes the independent lumber yard/construction/hardware store. The ones who cater primarily to professionals and contractors. Granted, the guys who work at these places are far more knowledgeable than the ones at McHomecenter, but they seem to expect their customers to have the same level of knowledge.

I recently walked into a local lumber yard on a Saturday not properly dressed, i.e., wearing shorts and sandals. Immediately, I was assumed to be a woodworking hack (well, maybe I am a bit) and not really worth their time. Two guys were working behind the counter —no check-out lanes here — assisting a couple of guys who were obviously contractors and probably frequent customers. That’s cool, I understand the importance of regular, repeat business. But why shun occasional customers who don’t spend a lot?

After wrapping up the big purchase from the guy ahead of me, the guy behind the counter turned to me and asked what I wanted. I needed one sheet of half-inch plywood. Heavy sigh. Before I even had a chance to describe what type of plywood he snaped out, “we have all kinds of plywood, do you know what you want?” Like, duh…no…the pretty kind?

He then pointed to the enormous menu board overhead and told me, “that’s what we carry”.

Okay, so I admit it: I don’t remember all the letter grade designations for plywood. It’s just not something I have room for in my brain. A, B, D, X, etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah…whatever. Naturally, the menu board listed all the plywood in code. So I said, “Well, half-inch plywood…the kind that is smooth, maybe an oak veneer. Do you carry something like that?”

The guy literally huffed at me. “Yeah, I told you we have all kinds, didn’t I?”

“Okay, well that’s what I want.”

“How many sheets? Do you have a way to load it?”

Yeah right. I drove in my Prius.

The conversation went back and forth like this for a while. I have a feeling the guy was trying to toy with me since I didn’t have on steel toed boots and the rest of the contractors’ “uniform”. Like, “I’m gonna ride this weekend weenie and tell the boys about it later.”

Never mind the fact that I have worked with wood for years and pretty much know what I’m talking about, these kind of stores can be intimidating to the uninitiated. I just gotta remember to always go there looking like I am a member of the club. It’s like walking into a Ferrari dealership dressed in rags.

There is redemption!

All of this has a happy ending. It’s Pini Ace Hardware store here in Novato, California. Pini’s has been a staple in Novato for nearly 100 years. This store knows how to do things right. Everyone shops there: from professional builders to housewives, and they are all treated with respect and attention. Pini’s is an old-style hardware store where you can buy housewares, garden supplies, a complete kitchen, or a single screw. The guys who work the floor (and there are a lot of them) are incredibly knowledgeable about everything they carry. Additionally, each guy specializes in something: there’s a plumbing expert, an electrical expert, a hardware expert and so on. If one guy doesn’t have an answer to a question, he calls the right guy on his headset and gets the answer immediately.

When you walk into Pini’s, the floor staff is everywhere and always asking if you need help. You never have to find someone. And the strange thing? They actually have the answers and get to know you by name. Most of these old guys have worked there for years. You get to know them.

I once needed to replace my kitchen faucet. To get to the washer that holds it into the sink requires a special tool …some sort of escutcheon wrench thingy. What? I need to buy a tool that I’ll probably use twice in my life? No, Pini’s lets you borrow tools. No, not rent: borrow! Sign your name and you are good to go. Keep it as long as you like. Let’s see a BigBox do that!

I have had hardware questions, electrical questions, plumbing questions, and always get answers, no matter how arcane. Often times they actually dissuade me from buying stuff because I can do it a better way cheaper. One time, the plumbing guy spent 20 minutes to actually teach me how to sweat and solder copper pipes. I followed his instructions and it worked out great.

When I was building my clipboard box, I struggled with how I would make the clip mechanism. They didn’t have specialized spring hinges, but Rob — he knows everything about everything — had the idea to modify one of those paper clamps…you know the metal kind that swings open to hold a stack of paper. He went into the office and just gave me some from his desk. I didn’t end up using that system, but what kind of store gives you stuff? Pretty damn cool.

And this is why Pini’s has been around so long. They treat everyone like a guest and are sincerely helpful. They don’t ignore you and they don’t talk down to you. Pini Hardware became an Ace Hardware franchise a long time ago, but retained its independence. And I have noticed this at other Ace outlets. Yeah, their prices might be a bit higher on some items, but it’s worth it. So here’s to Ace Hardware! They get it.