Nestled in a corner is this lovely holdover from a bygone age…read more This is an Ironmongers. They don't sell garden furinture or kitchen ware. They sell locks and hinges - all things iron. If you live in a tenement - look around. A lot of the stuff you see holding the windows up or attached to your doors, you will not find in a B&Q or a Homebase. Try and describe and they will look at you like a person who needs locking up. To obtain these things and loads of other useful stuff - you need to get to Oswalds. I love this place. Ask for a screw and the guy brings out a board with screws attached to it. You don't need to know the industrial nomenclature. No need to learn builders jargon. Bring a sample of what you need or a picture of it. They will haul out a board and see if its brother is nestled amongst the variety of things available. What a great system! These guys are helpful and very into what they do - which is stuff made out of iron. Be tolerant and they will tolerate you (and your silly questions)

Far back in the mists of time when I were a lad, bread were tuppence a loaf and everythin' were…read moremade o' wood (and how many more clichés can I cram into this opening sentence), you could go down t' street t' 'ardware store and buy a penn'orth o' nails and still have change for a bag o' crisps and a bottle o' pop. Now, thanks to the giant orange monster that is B&Q (Home Depot to transatlantic chums), I have to get in my car and drive several miles to a humongous warehouse, where I am forced to buy a box of 100 that will, having used 5 or 6 of them, forever after sit on a shelf gathering dust and slowly rusting until either the sun goes nova or I suddenly develop a need for that particular size and type of fastening once again. That's assuming they have the particular item in stock of course; it wouldn't be the first time that I've had to drive to one of the other B&Q stores to find what I'm after (my record is three). I'm being a little unfair on them for comic effect here - there's no denying that B&Q and their main competition Homebase are filling a niche in the market by providing practically all your DIY and hardware needs under one roof; but at the price of forcing smaller ironmongers out of business. If you're a tradesman with a trade account, or if you're just embarking on a major domestic refurbishment, this should be your first port of call. But years later, in the back of a kitchen drawer, I guarantee that you'll come across a little plastic box full of some miscellaneous widgets whose purpose and reason for buying you have long forgotten.

B&Q are the last refuge of the desperate…read more Men and women carrying small rubber parts or lengths of pipes that only a couple hours a go were pouring water into their kitchens. I have been one of these lost souls. Trying to save a Hogmanay party as I drove at breakneck speed to this B&Q with portions of my kitchen sink plumbing my hand. Furiously looking for the right size of "o" ring to match the parts. Until I found out that my kitchen pipes were National Hungarian sizes and B&Q only stocked Euro sized rings. Such is the world of pain and disappointment that the B&& can unleashed on you. The ads make this place look all happy and full of people bettering themselves. In truth, most B&Q's are where you find folks literally trying to keep their heads above water. The staff are the recipients of the most asinine questions. Can I paint my car with this? How long a pipe do I need? Will this be bright enough for my patio? I understand why they have a look of pain whenever approached by a member of the public. They make these stores big. Vast repositories of tools and materials. When unearthed centuries from now, our descendants will think we worshipped copper piping and hand tools, as we flocked here on weekends to tithe and toil. Do I really need to tell you what to expect at a B&Q? Enough stuff to really screw up your weekend. That is what you will get. If you think you can just buy a bathroom suite and one will magically appear in your home. I want to live in your world. Don't get me started on the Gardening section. Dismemberment "R" Us. Why four stars - cause it is a great improvement over the old inronmongers. Where pensioners disguised as store staff would hurl abuse and questions at you simultaneously. While they make fake attempts to find things that they know they do not have, since your broken item was made after 1940 and they only have parts for things made before that. So just remember, it could be worse.

I've used Stamperland Hardware it more than once and never been disappointed. The owner is very…read moreknowledgeable and helpful. He has a great selection of hardware, and the prices are very reasonable too.

This is a great little independent hardware store and it is full with everything, and I mean…read moreeverything. Need some lightbulbs, check. Clothes pegs? Check. Nuts and bolts? Check. Garden gnomes? Yup. Like I said, they have everything here and it is an exciting place to browse, as there are buckets upon buckets filled to the brim with knick knacks and hardware goods. So if you're feeling inspired and want to do some DIY around the house but have forgotten to buy that tiny screw driver for fiddly nails then this store is a good shout. When the weather permits many of the goods are displayed on the pavement just outside the shop. I came here a few months ago looking for some batteries and they had plenty of them and they weren't too pricey either. The shop owner was very friendly and asked if I needed any help. After that he got me my batteries quick smart and I was on my way satisfied that I could now put some juice in my camera and take some nice new pictures. A great little shop.

It would be fair to say that I'm not exactly an expert on hardware, but this place seems excellent…read more It's a local independant shop, run by an older gent who seems to know everything in the world about hardware and DIY. It's also a helluva lot better, nearer, and cheaper than B&Q. It's one of those places that is stuffed floor to ceiling with hardware. They probably sell everything, if you just ask. We've been here a couple of times recently for hooks, dimmer switches and, I don't know, hardware stuff. The guy was really helpful and we got what we needed. When I say 'we', really I was playing no part in this at all. I was just there. But my other half seemed very happy that he got what he needed, and I was happy that the light fittings therefore got attached to the ceiling.

This little shop on Crow Road is jam packed with traditional hardware supplies and a range of…read morekitchen, cleaning and DIY goods. It's refreshing to see that there is still this type of small retailer around as so many have been made extinct by the larger superstores. It is a family run business with friendly and knowledgeable service. Although probably a little more expensive than the larger stores such as B&Q it is a handy local shop for small purchases. They also offer a key cutting service, although on 2 out of 3 occasions that I have had keys cut there, I have had to return as they didn't work. This was remedied on each occasion and may be due to my locks being of an old fshioned design.

Handy, well stocked (of the things they carry) and not too overpriced.read more

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....sensory overload....cant shake images from mind.....close my eyes and…read moresee........EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would recommend giving this place a wide berth if your either hungover or feeling a little under the weather as it can be a tad.....eh, mental. One of those shops that sells just about everything you could imagine a shop selling and a little bit more, this place is quite possibly the scariest place i have ever seen. Need a statue of an African lady carrying a water jug on her head? go here. Need a dozen lighters? go here. Random other thing? go here. It really is that bizarre. I would recommend going to this joint and spending a fiver on a random piece of tat for your mates next birthday. Yes they will hate you, but it'll be totally worth it when they unwrap their incredibly life like Gorilla statue....

Well what's not to say about this Aladdin's cave of a place…read more Tourist's and locals in their droves stare in this store window with jaws hitting the pavement. Some of the delights you will see in the window? Well how is a replica of the titanic?, Billy Bass fish, wigs, dreamcatchers, virgin Mary statues, daleks, ornaments of staffy bull terriers and that breed of dog that is the same as Paul O'Gradys Buster, model trains and buses, a plastic dragon with red eyes that light up and wings that move back and forth, real life dolls, prayer books, hoover bags, Elvis statues ohh but to name a few. The real mystery of this place is that they actually sell everthing, every battery and light bulb, these guys have them all. If you went in with a missing bit of the Ark or you needed some bolts for a flying saucer these guys would pop through the back and mysteriously have them, all at discount prices!

This is a wee gold mine of a shop. It looks battered from the outside and it is tiny inside, but it…read morehas everything! The main line of business is...well there isn't really one. It's a amalgamation of watch care (e.g. batteries, straps and the like), DIY supplies, electrical supplies and all kinds of bits and bobs in-between. There are some little knickknacks, candles and candle holders too which are not bad for a quick gift in a hurry or to brighten the place up. Admittedly, some of them are a little dated and the like but if you have a rummage you're sure to find something. Meanwhile, the other side of the business is unlocking and repairing mobile phones and PCs. Sadly, I didn't find this out sooner, when I drunkenly dropped my laptop onto the wooden floor and completely broke the screen right off of it. However, should anything happen like that happen again, I'll definitely make a stop in here and see what they have to say. Other plus points, are good prices and friendly staff who are more than happy to give you some DIY advice.

One of the few small independent hardware shops remaining in Glasgow, this is a great place to pick…read moreup the more common kitchen essentials or DIY widgets. I love wandering around hardware stores in a kind of meditative state, just looking at the range of things and wondering to what other creative uses they could be put (maybe it's a guy thing?). It's not often I get the chance to do that in here as the place is jam-packed from floor to ceiling with all sorts of stuff, so if you're in a hurry or if there's more than one other person in this rather cramped shop, you'd be quicker just to ask them if they have your particular item in stock. Usually they do.

This great little family business is situated on Dumbarton Road not far from the Tesco Express…read more There have been two occasions when I've headed to this shop - and both times it has met my needs perfectly. The first time, I was after a hammer - which I found quickly and cheaply here. The second - I was in the market for some fairy lights for my Christmas tree - which again were easy to find and cheap. They even tested them for me in the shop to make sure they worked properly. As well as having the usual hardware store produce (you know, hammers and nails and such DIY tools) this shop also sells homeware bits and pieces and seasonal produce. At the moment they are decked to the halls with Christmas decorations, including a massive array of lights. Every time I've been in here I've had great service, and the guys who run it have helped me find what I'm looking for. Be aware that they don't take cards, though, so you may need to do a quick dash across the road to the cash-point.