Tuggey's Hardware
Category: Hardware Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Noe Valley3885 24th Street
(between Sanchez St & Vicksburg St)
San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 282-5081
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
67 reviews
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
"There is something about this place that screams "neighborhood" and "Polk Street". It has this friendly Mr. Rogers feel, without any weird…" read more »
21 Reviews for Tuggey's Hardware
I had just moved to Noe and didn't know of any other hardware stores close by. I found this store on my walk. Super friendly staff! I needed to buy 2 bolts and they gave it to me for free!! It was a nice welcome to Noe!! Thanks!
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In 1972, when we arrived, 24th Street had many useful shops, including cobblers, barber shops, groceries, liquor stores, cafes, 5 and 10c stores, and a florist or 2. All things change, but most of the newer places are useless to me, so I'm always glad to still see Tuggey's, Shufat's, Aleo's and a couple other stores still alive and well. Tuggey's won't have everything a builder needs, but their specialty fastener dept. is excellent, and they stock nearly everything a homeowner is likely to need for general repairs and upkeep. Great store. Very helpful staff. Extra points for the old fan belt selection high up on the wall. Even more points for no computer and no power tools. That's right: no power tools. The wood floor is priceless.
Larry
As soon as I'm in the door, these guys are eager to please. On the handful of times I've stopped by, I've received excellent service.
Make keys in a flash and get you on your way with "have a great day!"
Just what you'd expect from a Ma/Pa hardware store.
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I love Tuggey's. Don't let the younger staff fool you. They're so nice and helpful. I didn't feel intimidated or stupid asking questions. Fast too! I had keys made in under 2 minutes. Tuggey's has everything and it's not super expensive the way you would expect since it's the only hardware store in walking distance. GOOD JOB GUYS! One more thing to love about this neighborhood!
I recently had to buy some small tools and thought I'd check out Tuggey's. What a treat to find someone both knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with. I'm a big supporter of local businesses rather than the large box stores. I always hate to drive out to the "burbs" for hardware types of purchases. Tuggey's seemed to have it all and also very willing to order something if it's not critical to have at that moment in time. This was a surprise visit and superior service. I'll be going back!
Tuggey's is great. By far the best service I've ever experienced in a hardware store. If someone doesn't ask you what you need and guide you directly to it within five seconds of you walking in the door, then you probably aren't at Tuggey's. Seriously, the service is great. They also almost always have whatever I need even though the place is tiny.
I try to go here when I need to make a hardware buy because it's local businesses like Tuggey's that make San Francisco great. If you live nearby, give them a try before you drive to Home Depot.
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I'm kind of sad to see that many people have had service issues here. When I go in, the younger guy with dark hair is usually working - he has always been extremely nice. So if you need some help, don't assume grandpa knows best - ask the "kid".
I have gone here for the most random things and they usually have what I'm looking for. I'm not looking for a reason to drive to Home Depot and Tuggey's normally doesn't give me one.
They also cut the best keys. Seriously. They always work perfectly. Not like those cheap pieces of shit that you give to someone with 15 disclaimers (jiggle it to the left, then lurch upward, then wiggle it counter-clockwise, etc). They are keys and they should work. For good times, they also have the fun keys with designs printed on them. You know you need a leopard print house key!!
They have a sticker claiming people on "Yelp love us!". Yeah? Maybe they never needed anything after 3pm on a Sunday. Closing at 3pm on Sunday is outright amaturish bullshit.
This is the kind of place that will sqawk and want sympathy when Walmart or Home Depot moves in but won't even bother to be open reasonable hours.
Closing earlier on Sundays than other days is one thing, but 3pm is excessive. It says they don't need or care about our business - so don't give it to them. Avoid.
I had some friends visiting from the East Bay and we were on the waiting list at Savor up the street. We passed by Tuggey's and I asked if anyone needed hardware ( really just looking to kill some time). Christie says she needs a lamp finial, Norma says there is no way this tiny looking little place will have it. After about 10 minutes of rummaging through multiple flip top plastic boxes we found exactly what we wanted!
This place is a treasure and one of the best examples of small Noe Valley businesses.
So they are helpful & will have the generic hardware store item I need here & there, but not having a shelf sized piece of wood?!! that was frustrating.
They are my local hardware store, but I'd much rather go over the hill to Cliff's & get all I need at once.
I'm also a big fan of the younger guy who works there & plays rock music. Its funny to think all of these old men are forced to listen to 90's music all day cause of him.
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It's a little place. Simple stuff is kinda hard to find. Walk in, walk out. Nobody will probably bother you. However, if you go in and smile and say hi - people will say hi back! And try to help you. Sometimes they can't - but they will try to help you and they will probably have what you're looking for.
Be prepared to talk to people and be human...b/c it's not like the chain hardware shops.
Tuggey's is THE old school hardware store. The place seems small and uncluttered, yet they always seem to have what I need--and they're no more expensive than the big orange crap box with the congested parking lot. They are always friendly and happy to help with accurate advice with plumbing, wiring...you name it.
...and I dig the homemade mannequins. They're cute and just creepy enough to keep your kids on their toes.
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TUGGEY'S! It's such a cute name...I couldn't resist going in. All I needed was a key. The boys were so sweet to me that I swore that I would make this my only hardware store...a kind of anti-Home Depo, if you will.
But my resistance was worn down quickly. Tuggey's is a great little neighborhood hardware store, but it doesn't have the selection that I sometimes look for. I can't find everything I need here, which makes it hard...I end up going to Ace in the Mission.
But for everything else...light bulbs, glue, keys...Tuggey's is my only choice. My patronage may belong to someplace else, but my heart belongs to Tuggey's.
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Tuggey's hardware is one of the last in a dying breed of small-town, old-guard retailers that still do business in San Francisco. Whenever I walk into Tuggey's, I feel like I've entered the store where my Grandfather bought hardware back in the 1940's. There's older style display fixtures, narrow aisles, and a worn hardwood floor that looks like it's seen countless multitudes of feet that span several generations. A window display has some items that change, some that have been there for ages. Come Christmas time, they put an electric train set in the windows that runs 24 x 7. Each boxcar on the train has the logo of an NFL Football team on it, and if you pay close attention, you'll notice the front-to-rear arrangement is pretty representative of each teams ranking in the League. Yeah...it's that kind of a place.
The biggest gripe I hear from the local carpenters is that they're a bit on the pricey side, but I'll always counter with the obvious: They ain't home depot, and competing on price isn't what keeps them in business. Rather than offering rock-bottom prices, Tuggey's gets by in the high-rent Noe Valley district by practicing the vanishing ethic of neighborly service. They're always quick to offer assistance when you come in, and they're especially good with requests along the lines of "I need a whatsamajiggit for my whosamathanger that's compatible with a 1922 Acme Widget". If there's a way to cobble together a solution with whatever Tuggey's has on hand, the staff will move heaven and earth to find it.
If you feel a serious need to save 5 to 10% on minor hardware needs and you don't mind driving to Colma, fighting for a parking space in a massive parking garage, locating what you need in a warehouse the size of Brisbane, queuing up in a 15 minute line at the checkout counter and fighting your way out of a parking structure after you check out...then by all means make the drive down to Home Depot! But every time it's humanly possible, I'll make my way down to Tuggey's and pay whatever price they're asking. Convenience, community, and old school ethics have their price...and the premium I pay at Tuggey's is something I consider one of the better deals going in today's economy.
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I swear the first time I walked in here I thought Mr. Cunningham was going to be in the back. If you live in SF and need some basic hardware needs this is the place to go... more importantly, if you have questions these guys will give you answers.
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They take one look at your face, and know exactly what you need. I've been greeted with such helpful remarks as,
"That job'll require some duct tape."
"You're lookin' for wood nails"
or
"What you need is a screw!"
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This place is never open. NEVER.
I take the train from downtown after work and get off at 24th Street on my way home to run some errands around 6pm. Is Tuggey's open? No.
I walk down 24th on my way to work the next weekday morning around 8:30. Maybe I can stop in and get what I need now. Is Tuggey's open? No.
It's a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon, around 3:30, and I'm doing some work around the house. I need something from the hardware store. Is Tuggey's open? No.
What? What gives, Tuggey's? Is this the 1960s? Are you a bank? I want to support locally-owned neighborhood businesses, but it's a little hard when you keep such terrible hours. Open your damned store and maybe I'll buy something. Sheesh.
I hate to be the grumpy one here, but Tuggey's could be so much better.
At first glance, it's an adorable, neighborhood hardware store. But that first glance is the best thing about it.
Maybe I've been unlucky, but I live down the street and have visited several times. I'd say 4 out of 5 times I'm met with unfriendly customer service, if I'm met with any service at all.
Some people there are friendly, true, but there are others who are simply rude.
The last time I went in, I was in a bit of a hurry to get home. Patiently, though, I waited. And waited. And waited for someone to help me find the nails I needed. I eventually began to tail an employee to seek his help, only to find there were two other customers doing the same thing. He was ignoring all of us. When one of the other tailing customers asked me if I'd been helped, I shook my head, to which the employee finally acknowledged our presence with, "well if you'd look around, you'd see we're very busy" (it wasn't busy at all). With a smirk he disappeared and we were left on our own again. When I found another employee to ask, he jerked his head as if to point me in the direction of the nails, but it wasn't any help at all. A moment later he was gone. Eventually, I left (sans nails) since I had already wasted too much time.
The next day, however, since I still needed nails, I returned to be met with the same reception. First ignored, then scoffed. Finally, I very firmly stated (to, as it seemed, the air) that all I needed was to find a some specific nails. Suddenly, out of the woodwork emerged a very friendly elderly gentleman to assist me. Because of him, I'm not giving this place one star.
UPDATE: I went back in a cheerful mood and still received NO SERVICE.
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I used to work retail so I know how annoying 'the public' can be so I make an effort to treat sales people really well, I also make an effort to shop local. But after my experience in Tuggey's Hardware today, sadly I think I'll just schlep a little to Cole's Hardware (Where they are always super helpful and friendly and they are always busy on top of it all!) There is a younger guy who works there, v. nice and an older man who is very dear. However, there is a man there with a shaved head who was so nasty to me I don't know if I can go back. If he isn't the owner, the store owner would be smart to talk to him about his attitude because he is driving away customers.
Totally amazing service, and yeah, I've pretty much always found what I wanted: silver cleaning solutions, key duplication, grades of sanding paper, etc.
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