Cole Hardware
Categories: Nurseries & Gardening, Hardware Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Cole Valley956 Cole St
(between Carl St & Parnassus Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 753-2653
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
76 Reviews for Cole Hardware
One of Cole Hardware's Favorite Reviews
Sigh. Never has a hardware store inspired such love and loyalty in little ol' moi. They have everything, they know everything, and they're so friendly you think you're living on Sesame Street. Sometimes when I'm running errands totally unrelated to hardware, I'll pop in here just to walk around and absorb the vibe...and how weird is that? Completely weird. But weirdly nice.
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Just wanted to add to the other positive reviews...we just went there b/c of a toilet emergency and the person helping us was very knowledgeable about what we should do and took the time to explain in detail how to fix the problem...Thanks Bob!! He even said we could call him and he would talk us through the process--it was reassuring to know Bob was there for us just in case! And in case you're on the edge of your seat wondering, our toilet has never flushed better! Yay!
Cole Hardware is right around the corner from me, and I'm so grateful that it is. I've been working on my house, and gone there literally every day for the past week. Flowers, cable, clothespins...they have had everything I've needed, and some things I haven't even known I needed! The service is really good, if not sometimes aloof. Definitely chock full of the doodads and expensive knick-knacks, but it's fun to see their overpriced yuppie stock and then duck through for a alligator clips and staple guns.
Things I've bought at Cole Harware:
trash cans,
keys,
strike plates,
nails,
bolts,
washers,
screws,
screwdrivers,
drill bits,
squares,
hex wrenches,
clamps,
a hammer,
wrenches,
pliers,
a level,
mops,
brooms,
garbage bags,
compost bags,
dog poop bags,
vacuum cleaner bags,
light bulbs,
lamps,
fans,
space heaters,
lumber,
extruded aluminum,
extruded brass,
hinges,
latches,
Sigg bottles,
thermoses,
batteries,
garage door openers,
flashlights,
propane,
a plumber's torch (which I use to make creme broulee, btw),
little plastic boxes,
dish soap,
soap dispenser,
3M pads,
sponges,
buckets,
a swiffer,
shower heads,
faucets,
braided stainless steel hoses,
plungers
toilet parts,
toilet brushes,
toilet paper,
paper towel,
paper bags,
pipe,
teflon tape,
garden hoses,
orchids,
potting mix,
pots,
basil,
gravel,
lady bugs,
pesticides,
interior paint,
exterior paint,
spray paint,
paint stripper,
tape,
sandpaper,
wood stain,
tung oil,
twine,
rope,
chain,
solder,
speaker wire,
electrical cord,
extension cords,
lamp parts,
light switches,
switch plates,
outlets,
bathroom cleaner,
Windex,
playing cards,
Christmas tree lights.
That's just the stuff I can remember. I think at this point my whole house is entirely held together by stuff I bought at Cole Hardware. Without Cole Hardware I'd be sitting here in a big pile of rubble.
They have it all, great customer service, and walking distance . . . nothing less than 5 stars would be fitting.
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This is the neighborhood hardware store that I have always dreamed of. A place you can go into not expecting a great find of a household trinket you didn't even realized you needed while finding the exact screw needed to finish a project. Its a huge plus they also have a paint and greenhouse department. The staff are ridiculously knowledgeable and helpful and I never waste time wandering around wondering where and if I can find something. It is amazing they have everything I need in such a small space - no frills with perfection.
I wrote a negative review about Cole Hardware a while back. But someone from Cole Hardware contacted me and told me I was wrong and that I should take it down.
Uh.
OK.
Here you go. Here's 3 stars. Is that ok? Please don't hurt me!
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This place has just about anything you could want whether it be hardware, plumbing and cleaning supplies, paint, a bistro table and awesome leather messanger bags! For a local hardware store the prices are pretty reasonable. Obviously it's much cheaper to go to Home Depot but it would be sacrilege to turn my back on Cole Valley. Gotta support the hood! For a dollar or so more I'll take convenience over price. Staff is very helpful and ask about joining the frequent buyers program to save some extra cash on each purchase.
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The guys who work here are so friendly. They actually approach you to help and don't avoid eye contact like some other places. My apartment is an icebox and I needed an alternative to paying a $150 PGE bill. Robert's Hardware has the worst hours - who has household needs and emergencies during business hours?? The guy who helped me at Cole's was super friendly and helped me pick out the perfect space heater. Now I can wake up in the morning and put on underwear that's room temperature.
If the modern hardware store is defined by service.. then Cole Hardware defines the modern hardware store.
Cole Hardware is like a neighborhood Bed, Bath & Beyond. When I need a mixing bowl.. I got o Cole Hardware. When I need Detergent..I go to Cole Hardware. When I need Christmas lights, I go to... you got it Cole Hardware.. They have hodge a podge of everything one needs.
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This spot is a great hardware and garden store. Staff are excellent, except for the folks at the register who are sometimes rude kids who don't don't even return a smile.
The plant and gardening selection are exactly what I need for a home garden. They have just about everything you would need for home repairs and even have a BBQ and kitchen section. Looks like they beefed up their paint selection, too.
OK, if you are a contractor, you probably won't stop going to Home Depot or Lowes. I have been figuratively spit on by Home Depot enough times that I don't go there unless absolutely necessary.
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This place is awesome! The ideal neighborhood hardware store. Great selection considering the size of the store and the people, wow, they are super nice and extremely helpful. I've had multiple odd little projects I've been working on at my place and they've always been able to help me figure out exactly what I need.
This place is great!
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Cole Hardware's monthly paper (which they will mail to your home address if you join the frequent shopper's club -- which you SHOULD), is actually awesome. In general I'm not a fan of literature produced by places I shop -- it's typically amounts to a terrible waste of paper and resources (by the way, see this month's issue for instructions on how to get off junk mail lists -- it would be very ironic if I considered the paper to be junk mail. But I don't. So it's only mildly ironic).
In addition to info about sales etc at Cole Hardware the paper has useful articles about relevant SF stuff, with an emphasis on Green activity.
Anyway, my review of the monthly is actually a metaphor for my feelings about Cole Hardware at large. Or is it a simile? Whatever.
Plus the novelty keys at their key-cutting station are bangin'. Go ahead, splurge -- get an image of Nemo on your next house key.
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I have a lady-boner for this store and anyone in it. I never thought to describe a hardware store as having ambiance, but Cole Hardware rocks it. I would bring a date here.
I got a whole bunch of odds and ends there this week, and my Muni pass for the month, and as I was ringing up I asked if they had any of those keychain bottle-openers, and this adorable clerk was really upset when he realized they no longer stocked them. Amazing. Out the door I went, a happy girl with my hot glue sticks, curtain rods, mop, lamp wire, and sandpaper.
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I love this place, nice people, great service!
Parking is a b*tch, but once you find a space...
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This is the place.
You can wander in, muttering "I need something called a 1-by-6", and a nice lady will help you without making you feel like you're a complete fool.
They ask the right questions, they're polite, they have everything.
I started coming here when I lived on the Panhandle. Now I live on Potrero Hill and I still go over there! Parking can be a pain, but it's easier parking than their location in the Mission which is closer to where I live now.
Very friendly and helpful workers. Nice garden department. They send faxes for me for free (perk of their shoppers club thing).
They aren't going to have everything you will ever need, but they can special order things. I like that they are a locally owned business and not some huge corporation like HD or Lowes.
Their "shopping club" provides a yearly divident ala REI, which helps offset their prices, which aren't always the best. I tend to shop the sales, though, because I'm cheap that way!! ;-)
A great first experience here while quickie shopping for friends on the day they were moving. Like with any hardware store, don't expect much in terms of orderly arrangement, but the folks were very helpful, even pointing to a competitor when a particular item wasn't available.
Parking on the other hand - oh well, it is SF. I will leave it at that.
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The only reason I gave this 3 stars is simply to support small business in San Francisco.
Sure its nice being able to walk a few blocks to pick up some screws and bolts but its expensive and for as much as Cole likes to advertise how helpful and knowledgeable their staff are is absolutely false. For all the years I've walked into the store in search of wood screws or like today a drill bit kit (lost mine) I waited forever for help and when I did get someone they were of NO help.
Not that Home Depot is any better, I too wait to find someone to ask a question, but they seem like they know their stuff better.
I still will go for the small stuff.
Nice selection of starters/seedlings, seeds, plants & gardening supplies. Staff is really helpful and everything is well organized. Try to take public transit if you can carry out what you buy. The N-Judah line is right there and parking is practically non existing particularly on the weekends. They have a nice dividend program so get yourself a Cole Hardware card when you shop & make sure to have it credited each time you go & you can reap the rewards at the end of the year. They also have a newletter they send out with a seasonal gardening section.
This place seems to have everything! I was skeptical about a city hardware store -- seems like something that would only have a good selection in suburbia -- but I was a pleasantly surprised. My boyfriend and I went in for some obscure light bulbs and came out with everything we needed. And a bonus: the bags they use are the cute reusable type, not paper or plastic. We also found parking just around the corner, though it didn't look promising at first.
I deduct one star for the lack of available employees: we had some questions, but the one staff member on the floor was always busy and another was a little scary and, as I discovered when I asked a question, quite standoffish.
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I good little hardware store with many interesting and all encompassing things. A lot of little things that you could want or would need to maintain your San Francisco apartment. I truly dig little hardware stores like these.They are reasonably priced with good sales. They started off with 5 stars and I deduct two stars for the following reasons.
One, no one offered to assist me in looking for the item that I wanted. I had to search for nearly 5 minutes until I found it on my own. Second, I am standing in line. There is no one else in line near me, I am standing right in front of the clerk, have clearly made eye contact with him, and he yells NEEEXT quite loudly like there were tons of people in line and there was chaos in the store.
Because I live quite a ways away, I can't say that I would find myself going there very frequently. This trip will certainly weigh heavily on which Ace hardware I choose to go to in the future.
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I have done toooo many runs to home depot. I just moved close to the cole valley and needed to pick up a couple items so i thought i'd give it a try. Parking was a bit awful but once i got into it WAY more than made up for it. I have NEVER had better customer service in a hardware---or almost any---store before. From the second i walked in they were all sooo helpful. And they have lotsa cool fun stuff along with stuff you actually need. Then i left my things there drove infront of the store and double parked for about 60 secs while the staff loaded up my car! I love them. I even called the next day looking for sod...they don't sell it but they did some research for me to give me a number to call for a local business that does. Thats customer service...AND they actually seem like thye enjoy thier jobs!
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It's the greatest hardware store I have ever been to. The staff is so helpful and knowledgeable, and there has always been someone available to assist me. I've never had to search for someone to help me in all the times I have been there.
There is a great selection for a space that isn't huge and they have a lot of great deals and the frequent shopper account gives you a kickback at the end of the year. I am also thrilled that they have started selling Muni fastpasses and that you can buy them with a debit card, which I have not been able to do elsewhere.
Whenever I need anything for one of my artsy or mechanical projects, Cole Hardware is my first (and often final) stop.
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Cole Hardware, especially Randy was very supportive in my search for beer bong parts. The moment I mentioned a funnel and tubing he knew exactly what I wanted. Very helpful staff.
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I like going to hardware stores with hubby. It's fun, all sorts of neat contraptions of different sizes and shapes for all sorts of uses i never thought of. Sometimes useful stuff, too, but most of all makes me want to start all sorts of projects. I like this hardware store because it's friendly and has a little of everything, and has good hours, always seems open at better times than a lot of others. I love getting inspired about projects and passing that on to hubby, then helping out for a little bit and finally sitting back and mixing a cocktail for him while directing and watching it all come together, that's the best part. This is a fun hardware store for starting those projects. I have a great orangey bathroom thanks to this place.
This review pertains to dust bunnies, double-wides, entitlement, and happiness.
First: the dust bunnies.
My apartment is friggin' filthy. The building is from 1926, and has spent all these years perfecting the skill of dust collection. In corners, on sills, between shelves, on all flat surfaces...and particularly ground into carpets. I've made do with a crap ass "dust broom" for years, which makes a lot of noise but sucks ass for actual carpet cleaning.
Today Spanky and I took a ride over to Cole Valley (for a whole host of other reasons), and decided along the way to make a stop into Cole Hardware.
Now to get there, it meant navigating Cole Street sidewalks. Hello people! Excuse me! I don't give a good goddam if you have a baby, or five babies, or a dog that is "soooooo cute!"--if you see someone coming along and you are blocking the thoroughfare, YOU STEP ASIDE. Didn't your momma teach you that, at least? You don't stand there like a linebacker hoping to get the friggin' heissman trophy. This is the neighborhood where suburban folks have traded in the doublewide trailers for the doublewide strollers and an extra shot of attitude with their morning nonfat soy sugarfree double latte. Whatever.
We made it to Cole Hardware, and there in the back, glowing like some forgotten grail, was a whole shelf of incredibly affordable rocket vacuums. The kind with extra brushes and double digit amp engines and bells and whistles and after a moment of consideration I walked back out the door the proud owner of a bright banana yellow sooper dooper vacuum of my dreams.
Spanky was only slightly impressed, but was agreeable to another cup of coffee and a pastry up the street.
Back at home, it was time for Dust-Be-Gone! Hahahahah! Death to the dust bunnies!!! Hahahahahahahahhaha.....(evil grin).
Now my house is clean. My carpets bright and fresh faced. Cole Hardware, you are my sunshine on this sunshiney day!
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I have received very creative and expert advice from multiple sales associates on everything from plumbing to the garden. Good service. Thanks cole hardware for turning my frequent projects from disaster into success. Be warned...it can be a little on the expensive side.
Ah, Cole Hardware; I've heard so many good things about this chain that I have lost count. Since I happened to be heading to the neighborhood (to stop at Pharmaca), and I had been putting off that badly needed trip to the hardware store for my new apartment, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to check out the "infamous" Cole SF.
The checkout people seemed a bit distant, but when my boyfriend and I were needing to ask questions about step stool prices and vacuum cleaner choices, the folks on the floor were more than happy to help. I also had an extra set of keys made, and the guy who did them was beyond quick (the keys also work very well). I would have loved to give the whole place five stars, especially for their eco-options throughout the store, but the unwelcoming cash register folks blew it.
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Cole Hardware was a great local resource when we moved to SF from El Cerrito, and continues to be our hardware store of choice. They've had everything we needed at a reasonable price.
However I'm not giving five stars because only about half of their employees seem to have the true hardware store spirit, that attitude that any household problem can be solved reliably and affordably with only items available in the store.
We managed to stump one employee with our desire to hang blackout curtains in an apartment where we're not allowed to put holes in the wall; the best he could come up with was a rickety structure of several L-brackets (we eventually figured out on our own that we could stick the curtains to the top of the Venetian blinds with powerful magnets, purchased at Cole Hardware).
Another employee insisted that there was no way to attach the Brita filter we had purchased (at Cole Hardware!) to our faucet because it was made of plastic and thus too bendy to be reliable (later, another, more experienced employee recognized immediately the problem I was having, and showed me to the right part).
Granted, the Venetian blinds were a tough problem, but I've been spoiled by the competence and can-do attitude of the folks at Pastime Hardware in El Cerrito, which Cole Hardware still can't beat.
Prices for small hardwear stores are never going to be comparable to Lowes and Home Depot. But can you pay an extra dollar to talk to a real person and shop local?
The best part about this place is that they will take all your used batteries and CFL's (which contain toxins) and recycle them for free!
Yes, for a green hardware store!
They help me. Always. There's nothing I like more than staff that asks me if I need help with anything. Because you know what... I usually do.
I don't know shit about anything, really, when it comes to my house. Shelving? I don't know. Shower heads? I don't know. Pipe thread something or other? I don't know. Curtain rods? hmm. They always tell me what I need and send me in the right direction. Yay! I went there with some items from a disassembled shower and somehow the lady gave me what I needed before I even knew what to ask. Yay!
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When I lived in Atlanta, I went to Target a lot.
Ok, let's get this straight. I WENT TO TARGET A LOT.
Yes, there was that one time I went four times in one day, and that other time I spent over $500. But I digress...
Upon moving to San Francisco with nary a Target in (close) proximity, I started to panic. No Target? But where would I get my trash bags? Where would I get WD-40? Where would I get MY KITSCHY EASTER DOOHICKEYS THAT I DIDN'T NEED?
Oh right. Cole Hardware.
While they don't carry Isaac Mizarahi nor cute Moschino bathing suits, I found that you can get those elsewhere and concentrate on the things you really need here: like F1 Dirt Devil Hepa Filters, for instance. Or deviled egg cups. Or beach chairs.
Don't underestimate Cole Hardware, especially this one on Cole (which I assume is the original) - they've got everything you need. And even some stuff you didn't even realize you did.
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this store has everything. i have no idea how they are able to do that. their inventory must just say: 10 of everything in the world. have bought everything from sand paper to a kettle here.
even more impressive, their employees know exactly where everything is located, know everything there is to know about what you're looking for, and won't laugh at your piddly, home repair ignorance.
their list of earthquake preparedness necessities is a thing of beauty. i think it contains something like 300+ items. i keep it on my fridge so that in the event of an emergency, i can consult the list and see all the things that would have come in handy.
have tried multiple times to grow a fresh herb garden, but alas, my black thumb of death haunts me.
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I love this place soo much. I am like a kid in a candy store. I can find things from plants to heavy duty machinery for tough DIY jobs around the house. The staff is great, and the selection is great.
If you are to call a Cole Hardware for help, don't call the one on Cole Street - call the Mission street Cole Hardware - they are friendlier and actually help you out. This RUDE customer service rep basically told me to shop at another competitors store because he couldn't order an item, which ironically the Mission street store did for me.
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What's a girl like me hanging out in a hardware store? Well, recent purchases have included a small pine tree (a little Christmas cheer), sandpaper, a mug, surge protectors, screws. They've got eveything and the kitchen sink (maybe). Everyone that works there is really helpful. It gets 4 stars because it's hard to navigate the narrow aisles. Especially the weekends when people are all psyched about home improvement projects.
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I love this place. I'm always asked about 15 times if I need help, not because I'm a woman but because they're just that nice. When I was leaving one day, one of the guys working with the Christmas trees outside smiled and waved. I love stuff like that! Anytime I need anything hardware related (and I'm just moving into my place, so I need stuff ALL THE TIME), it's the only place I think of going. And I never used to go the hardware store. Yay.
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I heart Cole Hardware not because they carry things I need to maintain a livable space. It's mainly because they support schools by setting up wish lists on their site and give donations to everyone who genuinely needs it for fund raisers or functions. Public schools are strapped for cash, and Cole Hardware is the most dependable establishment to rely on for free cases of water (with their logo on the bottle, of course) and gift certificates. The owners and workers of Cole Hardware truly have heart. Yay for Cole Hardware!
http://www.secure5.ep-...
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There is no there there, but if there were a there in Cole Valley it would be here. This earnest little hardware store is the spiritual center of that quaint little cluster of shops and, like most: 1) has "Cole Valley" or some variant in the name so you will not forget where you are, and 2) has been fixed in time and space for at least ten years.
Here against the back wall is a stack of hand tools where, ten years ago, I bought my first and hopefully last cordless drill, an object of such joy and affection that I carry it around in my car and it has become my animal familiar.
Here is the register where, ten years ago, I bought a $200 dollar gift certificate for my neighbor, now deceased, whose precious garden I whacked in a fit of misguided helpfulness thinking I was doing away with overgrown weeds.
Here on the shelf are heaters where, ten years ago, I bought the fastest quietest Vornado as a gift for my roommate, hoping the rekindled warmth between us would encourage her once again to shed her night shirt.
A word about the plants. There is a garden section in back with bulbs and planters and the faint scent of fertilizer in a tiny two-tiered makeshift greenhouse. Have you ever thought what a grave act it is to buy a plant? Today two lesbian nesters congratulated each other on finding their perfect plant adoption. Though the selection is small each of these beautiful plants deserves affection and you should choose it as carefully as you chose a pet or a lover, for all will depend on you. Those on the sidewalk out front do not deserve as much love but it is not their fault, an accident of birth and genetics that they are ground cover and vegetables and flowers rather than indoor houseplants. Note that Cole Hardware's plants do not die as quickly as those from Home Depot. Undestand why and you will know much.
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This is one of those places where I come in, intending to buy washers and bolts, and linger over potential purchases for hours. Where else could you buy a jalapeno plant, mitre box, and stovetop espresso all at once? Just the other day my friend bought a 12" portable charcoal grill for 40 bucks. took it to the beach but were unsuccesful in trying to light the damn thing. I blame that one on lack of grilling experience but I digress.Seriously love this hardware shop, it's well maintained, and staff are both helpful and friendly.
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