Soko Hardware
October 29, 2012 § 2 Comments
While visiting friends in San Francisco over the weekend, we stopped into Soko Hardware while strolling through Japantown. Soko Hardware is like any other small neighborhood hardware store in America, with the exception that it caters to a local Japanese clientele. So while they have the typical home improvement tools you see in any hardware store, they also stock a nice variety of Japanese woodworking tools. They certainly don’t have the selection of Hida Tool across the bay, but it’s still a nice convenient source for tools if you live in the city. And Japantown is certainly worth going to if you’re visiting San Francisco. Below are some pictures of the display cases at Soko Hardware.
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Unfortunately there is now one fewer brick and mortar store in the San Francisco area that sells Japanese tools. Fred and Sally Damsen, the proprietors of Japan Woodworker, have decided to retire and close their Alameda store. The Japan Woodworker will still live on as an internet store, and will be owned and operated by Woodcraft. A letter from the Damsen’s regarding this transition can be seen here (depending on your browser, you may to click an additional like to open the pdf).
The one thing that always annoyed me about Soko is that they never seem to be open. They’re not a nightclub!
We have a hardware store here that’s much the same. Well, I can at least say that Soko is open on Friday afternoon!