The 'go-to' for sophisticated DIY and the absolutely best tools for the project! Gardening, wood working, cooking, hobbies.

I've been pressing flowers and leaves my whole life. They never turned out the way I hoped. Until I used this currently sold out microwave Terracotta flower press. Most of the traditional flower press require 2-3 weeks to see the final results. This tool delivers in 2-3 minutes. The colour and shape stayed perfectly because they were dried probably. I wish I did not wait for 20 years to try this item. All the beautiful plants and flowers I could have preserved using it. Lee Valley Has many high quality tools. It's a great place to look for new tools and gifts ideas. read more

Worst customer service I have ever had. Ordered a pattern from Ubild, after placing the order was informed that Lee valley had taken over this business. Ok, that was 3/6/25, it had not gotten delivered and emailed them, told me they would send another, 3/18/25, found out from usps that the first one did not have correct postage. There fault. Rather than overnight one they mailed it again. Never arrived . Was told they would sed one ups yesterday, the ups web site shows they don't have the package as of 6pm on Tuesday, tracking number was made but they have yet to send it. 20 days, I paid for shipping they made the mistake not putting enough postage. I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE PATTERN. Just doesn't seem like they care at all. All I get from them is apologies. Nothing else, I was told last Sunday that a replacement would be sent first thing Monday morning. It was not. Still waiting in Georgia. read more

Boring, but this is yet another review that says: excellent products, but atrocious customer service, back of counter operations, systems, and customer fulfillment. Please, please, please -- hire someone who understands tech and operations and listen to what they say. Even better -- poll recent customers to ask about the *Lee Valley shopping experience* and see what they say. Or...just sit back fat and happy, and wait for a better run company-- with access to the same quality tools and hardware-- to clean your clock. Last piece: Lee Valley is a well respected manufacturer of tools. If the tool you need is made by them, it*s probably still worth the brain damage of dealing with them. If it isn*t (lawn and garden, hobby, books, hardware, finishes, etc. etc.) go elsewhere. They have little that can*t be found elsewhere (except for those lovely hand planes, which some of us are addicted to). Hellooooo Lee Valley!! Are you listening? read more

our kitchen table slider broke. we found a new set for half the price as anywhere else. Fast shipping and great product. perfect fit. Will definitely do business with them again. read more

I have been a Lee Valley tools customer since 2005. I find their tools (Veritas) to be of a professional level, their hand planes, cutting tools, vises, woodworking accessories are first grade, as good as many other high end tools manufacturers like Lie Nielsen. No complaints whatsoever about it. They get two stars from me due customer service issues and high prices of tools they resale from other brand names. Years ago I got a Veritas cabinetmaker's mallet, Ash handle broke after a few strikes, customer service guy promised a replacement on the mail, never received. Got a couple of Gransfors axes from them, to then find better prices (much better) from other retailers. I have the taste in my mouth, they "refurbish" used returns and sell them again like "New" tools. My Gransfors Carving Axe for instance looks shorter (resharpened) compared with others at different dealers. I returned a Scandinavian Forest Axe for the same reason, the leather sheath had too many cuts inside, a sign of having been used before. My last 800 KING Water stone came with a broken corner. I think that was the last nail on the coffin. They do not have neither customer ratings in their web site, what it makes a "blind" shopping experience. Am I buying again from them? mmmmm.....no really. read more

Although pricey, their products are high quality. The knowledge of the staff is what I would like receive at other similar stores. However, big box stores are just interested in pushing product, quality and service is not the goal. I am happy to pay more for quality and service. LV also have a great refund policy if one returns unused items with a receipt. One suggestion I have though for Lee Valley is to have someone dedicated to the cash. This part seems to take longer than necessary especially if their is a lineup. read more

You know when you were a kid and your mum dragged you to Eaton's or the Bay or some equally tortuously boring department store, and you immediately felt like falling on the ground and not moving -- even if that meant causing a scene, because you just knew how painful and long the next X number of minutes/hours of your life would be? Strangely, that's how Lee Valley makes me feel (clearly, as an adult woman, I'm not about to do this, for fear of looking like a total nutter, but you know). There's something about Lee Valley that makes me tired -- like, physically, actually drained. Every time I come here, I want to sit down and mope. BUT, there's a pretty reasonable answer for why this keeps happening: it's like quiet time for semi-retired almost-seniors up this hizzy. The energy may be low, but that's what makes it kinda great. The average employee could my uncle, or best friend's dad, or super handy next door neighbour, or that woman down the street who has the best garden in the neighbourhood -- meaning, these people know their stuff. Sure, there's an ever-convenient catalogue to peruse that may be delivered to my home (many of them, actually: gardening, woodworking, gifts, etcetra), but there's nothing like going into the physical store and asking one of these funny folks (totally funny folk if there ever were such a thing) about a certain product or technique. And my gahd, if you can think of it, Lee Valley probably has it. I like that. So I like it here. read more

I bought a Foredom rotary tool which I finally got around to using a month after the 90 day factory warranty expired. I promptly managed to break the flex cable though and called the store. The staff at Lee Valley in Victoria asked a few questions, offered some useful advice and replaced the cable. In LESS than 24 hours it was delivered to my door in the Comox Valley at no charge. That kind of service deserves recognition! Thank you Brian and Scott. read more

our kitchen table slider broke. we found a new set for half the price as anywhere else. Fast shipping and great product. perfect fit. Will definitely do business with them again. read more

What a top notch outfit. Fantastic selection of hardware for just about any piece of furniture you may have. I searched all over to find what I wanted. Could not find it in the US. Came across Lee Valley and jackpot! Received my order in perfect condition and the pulls look just right. Thank you Lee Valley read more

I ordered fruit fly trap lids that screw onto regular jars. The fruit flies just walk in and out of the holes!!! Since I didn't need to use them until recently, I am just past the 90 day refund window but less than 120 days. So the response is "too bad"!!! I hope that the $13 that they kept is worth the bad publicity?????? read more

1. This store has a lot of things that are hard to come-by at the big box stores but some of their items are just baffling, for example: plywood brackets for woodworking clamps @ $22.50. Surely if one has enough clamps to require a rack (and any serious woodworker has man clamps) then they would have the tools and ability to make their own clamps out of waste plywood. 2. They offer a magnetic tool holder and at least on of the pictures show it being used to hold a block plane and chisels. This is a practice that nobody that is serious about their tools would partake is as the possibility of residual magnetism being introduced to a plane is too great which ma allow the introduction of ferrous particles to wood surfaces. 3. their stainless steel compost bucket is crap as the lip on the lid is not deep enough so the lid falls off the bucket almost every time the bucket is moved. Really annoying, especially when they have been offering this bucket for years and still have not fixed it. read more

After much hemming, hawing and perusing of the interwebs for ideas, I finally made the decision to go about refinishing my antique kitchen table cart using something other than a conventional polyurethane. (That may be the most surprisingly nerdy thing to ever spill forth from my being.) I knew that the wood (I am pretty sure it's oak) would look good enough after stripping, sanding, and prepping to benefit from a more traditional, "layered" finish. When I went looking for the kind of product I wanted to use at Home Despot I couldn't find anything like what I was looking for on the shelves, which was quite odd to me, as I just assumed that the orange-and-concrete mecca carried... everything. It does not. I asked an understanding clerk where one might go for the kind of products I was hoping to use, and he said "a specialty store." Lee Valley Tools is the closest thing to Martha Stewart in designer gumboots ploughing a manure-filled pasture planting heritage varietals of potatoes as you are likely to find in Vancity. And this, of course, "is a good thing." In addition to a fairly comprehensive selection of the types of finishes I was looking to use, the store has incredibly friendly and informed staff. After my initial walkabout I approached a woman behind the counter and explained my wood-finish dilemma. I thought I was going to go in there to get a tung oil, but she talked me out of it - and for good reason. After a fair bit of time and conversation based on her own experience in handling the products, I purchased a polymerized linseed oil that was based on "old fashioned" formulas; no heavy metals, no stink, no carcinogens. In fact, tthe product I purchased would probably not kill you if you drank the entire container (though it would undoubtedly produce a weird poop). With great haste I returned home, eager to start applying my new finish. I am gobsmacked at the results and am very, very pleased overall. I managed to make my table look fantastic and took a great deal of pleasure in the entire process. Moreover, the finish I bought was about $11 and I would say that after a good 4 coats I have used about a quarter of the contents - serious bang for my buck. My table looks great, my apartment doesn't stink, and even my cuticles were happy (I didn't even need to wear gloves applying it!). I don't know where else in Vancouver sells the types of products I was looking for. Regardless, the experience I had with Lee Valley ensures a return visit. read more

Very confusing but worth it... It's set up like a bit show suite..you look at all the wares they offer and oh and ah..then...when you are ready to make some selections..you write down the item numbers..like bulk food at Super Store...you then go to a computer terminal and place your oder...you get a print out and take a number to wait in line..once it's you turn you give the man your paper and head on down to another line..by the time it;s your turn your products are ready..you pay..you leave...ALL shopping experiences should be this amazing! read more

so this is not your typical hardware store.. this is the hardware stores of all hardware stores. Everything in the store is displayed gallery style. There is only one sample of each of the products for you to touch, feel, and play with. Once you have decided on what you need you go to one of the several computer terminals located around the store and find the products you need in the data base and place the order. you print out the order and grab a number just like in a deli. They call your number and you go up with your order sheet. They take the sheet head to the back where someone has already prepared the order and they bring it back to the counter where you are at. right then and there they ask you if you have any questions or concerns about the product and make sure you know all the in's and out's of the wares. They then ring you up and you are on your way.... so civilized, and so much fun.... if only all stores could function like this one does. read more

Selling a backpack with Cancer and Reproductive Harm warning. I have always been a big fan of Lee Valley - in Vancouver. However, last week I was there to purchase some items and, on impulse, bought a light, packable backpack by Travelon - for $22. A few days later I noticed the cardboard label that comes with the product has a sticker on it that says "Warning - Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov". I went to that web-page and discovered it is a California warning - but there is nothing further about this particular product on that web-page. I then went to the website for Travelonbags - but there is nothing there either. So I called Lee Valley so see what they know about a product they are selling with this Warning on it. The people I talked with in the Vancouver office and the Ottawa head office were unaware of this Warning - and were not concerned. The Vancouver person told me I could return it, the Ottawa person says California standards are stricter than here. Apparently Lee Valley has sold this product for a couple of years. I said I thought due diligence by Lee Valley would require them to check into this warning to satisfy themselves that there was no real risk of harm associated with using this product - and/or they should warn customers about it when they are buying it. Neither person I spoke with seemed at all interested - they basically gave me excuses for doing nothing. I am shocked by this reaction - I thought Lee Valley was better than this. read more

Atrocious customer service. They have a great selection of unique items, but the staff treat you like garbage. Your presence, even to just pay for an item is an inconvenience. The staff here do not want you to waste their time, as they have more important things to do. I certainly hope that no management with this company have anything negative to say about Amazons business model, as they'v created their own environment to drive people away. read more

We ordered on line a carving knife on May 11th and it got delivered on June 4th! We live in Vancouver, BC - and was shocked it took so long to be delivered! But found out on line orders come from Ottawa they said it was in central Canada....don't think the boarder of Ontario/Quebec is the centre of Canada. Would never order thru them again! Had to go to our local store and exchange it - wasn't the one we wanted also! Going to the store (even waiting in line is 100 times better) customer service locally is much better! read more

Bought a lee valley crocinole board before Christmas. Sent it back for a replacement because of defect. Received the second one mid january and it was worst than the first one. Guess I'll put up with so I can play with my grandkids. Not happy with inferior workmanship when they talk quality read more

They have lost control of the quality of their product. I bought a fermentation set with a glass disk that you drop in a mason jar. The disk was too big and got stuck in the mouth of the jar. I lost a jar of exotic pickles (only one of two). If they can't get the dimensions right on a simple glass disk what are the chances they get it right on their other items? Buy from another store that actually cares about quality. read more

Lee Valley is not just a tool store, it's an institution. If you know anyone that is into wood working, gardening or general tinkering, Lee Valley is the place to visit. From high end to low end items, with practical tools to toys, Lee Valley has something for almost anyone. This location of Lee Valley is located on SW Marine Drive. Being a fairly non-descript building that is away from the road (slightly down the hill, and partially blocked by trees) it can be missed; however just look for the giant Lee Valley sign high above the street to guide the way. When you first enter the store, you'll see a variety of items, from hammers to kitchen tools, to door knobs to tap punches. However, the items on display are only the tip of the iceberg. The majority of what is in Lee Valley lies in the catalog located in the middle of the store. Throughout the pages of the many catalogs (a different one for each section, i.e. gardening, woodworking, gifts) you will find more tools and gadgets than you will know what to do with (or have money for). However, the thing with all the items sold at Lee Valley, is almost everything seems to be useful. Rarely is there something you may think, there is no good reason for that item. It may not be an item you see use for personally, but you can see how someone could see value in it. One item I recently purchased was a ceramic pen for $4.99. It looks like a pen, but the tip is ceramic (and sharp), which acts as a precision cutting tool for paper and plastics. This isn't a replacement for scissors for large cutting jobs, but it is outstanding for delicate shapes and designs to be cut out of paper. On the other end of the scale, my dad wanted some high grit sand paper (400 or 500 grit). At Lee Valley you can get individual sheets or packages of 25-50 sheets at almost half the price of places such as Rona or Home Depot. In many of the cases where the items are more expensive at Lee Valley compared to other tool stores, the quality is much higher and worth the investment as the part will last years compared to others. Once you have looked through the catalog (or used their computerized system) to generate your list of items, the next step it to take a number. However, unlike in a deli where you wait for tasty meat products, you'll be rewarded with the tools and gifts you listed out. On a weekend, the number line can look daunting, but even on the most busy times, I've never had to wait more than 5-7 minutes to get service. Once you are called over, you provide your list to the sales person, who will then go to the back room and collect all the items you've asked for (almost like having your own personal shopper). After another minute or two, they'll bring you your items, and take you to pay for your items. Not the most efficient system, but when they bring back your items they go over each item with you and give you tips, descriptions, and pointers about the products. This is great if you're buying a gift for someone else or are unfamiliar with the item so you can care/use it properly. Overall, Lee Valley is a great tool store that every home owner, handy person or hobbyist should visit. In particular, this location of Lee Valley is well stocked and has great staff willing to help you out. read more

If you need a hidden flush mounted controlled opening hinge, this is the place to get it. Lee Valley has single handedly renewed access to fine tools, they don't just sell them they make them also. If you are a woodworker, boatbuilder or just someone who loves fine tools you need to visit regularly. They make heirloom tools such as bench planes and chisels but don't expect them to come cheap, but 2-3 generations of use makes them very cheap. read more

I LOVE Lee Valley Tools. I don't know what I would do if I lived somewhere that didn't have a Lee Valley - oh wait! Yes, I do know what I'd do.... I'd order from the catalog! But I live in Vancouver where I have access to not one, but TWO Lee Valley locations. And if I felt adventurous, there's a lovely third location on the Island. So, for now, the catalog is just a dreamy publication to peruse whenever I get the thought: "Hey, I need a _______ and a bet you Lee Valley has it!", or to help me pass the time between visits. Some of my favourite things about LV? - Plastic nail brushes. Cheap and effective. Good for nails, hands or even scrubbing veggies. ( http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=10259&cat=2,42551,10259 ) - The Mariner Weather Glass. So old school but so effective and beautiful! ( http://www.leevalley.com/en/gifts/page.aspx?p=46857&cat=4,104,53209,46857 ) - Nutritional Scale. It weight your food/ingredients which is great when cooking and provides all the nutritional info for over 2000 items, with room to program in more. ( http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=66282&cat=2,40733,40734 ) Shade cloth, cabinet handles, push mowers, cable track, watering systems, hats, containers, and all manner of gadgets and tools. Great customer service They also have workshops where you can learn to make things. Crafty! read more

Lee Valley tools, (the actual tools, not the business) are pretty, and pretty expensive. To be fair, the tools are specialized and sometimes you can't easily find anything like that anywhere else. But in my experience over the years, the tools aren't designed for extended use, they're a light/medium duty hobbyist type of tool. If you use Lee Valley tools on a daily basis for construction (or did I mean constructive) work, you're going to be buying a lot of tools. Given the price point, you're better off buying commercial grade tools, any of the big brands. It's usually slightly cheaper initially, and certainly so in the long term. Even so, I still shop there, but I'm really careful what I spend my dollars on at Lee Valley. read more

Use the computer order stations for fast and efficient service.

Love the quality of Lee Valley Tools/Hardware and I own several of their products. However, I was looking for a place to leave a review of item 12K3360 - Blind Corner Pull Out for a lower cabinet. Truly wish their website had a place to leave reviews and helpful tips for others. So I am going to leave a review here... because I can. The unit in question is great, well made and rugged. Here were the issues we had: 1) Holy cow the install directions suck. Ikea style directions with pictures only. OK fine... I've put together more Ikea furniture than I'd like to admit, but at least Ikea's version of comic book directions makes each step a separate pictorial. These directions have several steps in one picture without clear definition of order of operation. We did figure out the 1 followed by degree symbol, 2 degree symbol and so on was Step 1, Step 2 and so on. Inadvertently figured this out when trying to determine why 1 degree angle would make a difference. The directions are "written" assuming the right hand pull out. If you order the left hand pull out, which is what we have, than all the pictures are backwards. Would have made for great comedy if we were filming, but just frustrating as time ticked by. 2) The unit is designed such that it used the interior cabinet wall for attachment, which is fine for frameless constructions, but not so much with face frame cabinets. For face frame units you need to fur out the cabinet to install correctly. Not a big deal, but it would have been nice to know ahead of time, so I didn't need to make a last minute trip for lumber. We did get a laugh about the photo indicating it would take 1 guy with a Philips screw driver 40 minutes to install. Lee Valley has great stuff and I'll keep buying from them, but it would be great if they had a review area for their products and better install directions. read more

are they serious ?? this stuff looks like it came from a Dollar store in Khazickstan and at 5 times the price. Full of stuff that you don't need and can live without. I only go there for the Swedish meatballs read more

please, lee valley, as a proud canadian company - always use our canadian spelling - the word is catalogue!!! we are proudly canadian - ensure you spell properly, please. g. gee read more

I ordered kitchen knobs and pulls from Lee Valley (US catalogue) for my new kitchen. I spent over $300.00 on the hardware. They were oil rubbed bronze. Sadly, even having only had them installed for a few months the finish has worn off and over time more and more of it. So now, I am left with really awful looking expensive knobs. I contacted the company and they told me that they only the warranty was only 90 days. Well had I known that since they expanded into the US that their product quality would drop I would have never invested in their products. Makes me question other expensive and unique products that I have purchased. I won't do it again. I could have purchased similar for pennies on the dollar at the big box stores. Sad to see them go the cheap made in China way!! read more

Positive: Prices are quite good, the employees are mostly helpful, and the store is run efficiently. Negative: Their online catalogue is barely mediocre. Half of the important measurements are missing which makes deciding on what to order impossible or a big investment of time to call in to ask about each possible purchase. Sometimes the back button on their site doesn't work. It goes 'back' to OTHER pages on their site that I've looked at or have open at that time while the page I just left has disappeared! Their online shopping cart isn't very good either. It doesn't automatically update and their search engine doesn't have nearly enough key words connected to the items. Consequently I have to cross-search for what I want and will usually find it after much perusing. Newbs love this store and I like it a lot too and have been shopping here for many years. They carry many hard-to-find items, but have surprising omissions from their stock. They are the first choice for woodworkers, but they don't even carry simple brackets for drop-front desks.....? Can't figure that one out as this is a pretty common item. read more

I will be honest in saying that even though I live blocks away from Lee Valley tools I've never been in here until recently 'cause I assumed that it was a general hardware store, however, their most recent catalog that came in the mail inspired me to come down and visit. It does primarily deal with gardening and wood working, however, there is a small selection dedicated to kitchen and a few house hold things. There is no real shopper's ambiance but I appreciate the target clientele that they do try to bring in. The item in the catalog that inspired me to come check this place out was the cherry de-pitter which helps me a lot when making summer cherry black berry smoothies. I also picked up a few cutting boards. Prices are hit and miss compared to other tool places whose name I won't mention, however, they reward you with small denominational bills. The customer service was awesome. For the most part the store was easy to navigate through. read more

The service at lee Valley was exceptional. Ian ill his time to explain all the reproduction and options and made sure that what I bought would go well with my project at home. The store is very tidy and organized. I would definitely come back. read more