Up with old time saw shops. Down with Lowe’s and Home Depot.

Salem’s State Street Saw Shop is a thing of beauty, isn’t it? Aside from the alliteration, consider what I enjoyed during my visit this afternoon.

I parked fifteen feet from the front door. No trudging in the rain through a vast parking lot, then coming out and wondering, “Where the hell is my car?”

I walked in and immediately saw what I was looking for—a Stihl BR 550 Backpack Blower. No wandering endless aisles searching for the one thing I wanted out of countless things I didn’t.

I got immediate knowledgeable service from two mature guys who have forgotten more about chainsaws and other manly tools than the young whipper-snappers at Lowe’s will ever know. No waiting forlornly for someone to come along and answer my questions.

I stood by a counter with character roughed up over many years by the touch of countless hard-working chain saws, got hands-on instruction in how to start the blower, and watched one of the guys fill up the tank with gas. No way you’ll get that at a big box store.

A few years ago I bought a Stihl chain saw at the State Street Saw Shop. I briefly considered going somewhere else for a leaf blower. Could have saved some money elsewhere, I’m sure.

But I love old-time shops like these. They’re an endangered breed. While I was trying on the BR 550 to see how it felt on my back I overheard a conversation between the other customer in the store and one of the employees.

“We don’t carry those any more,” I heard. “We used to, but Lowe’s and Wal-Mart discounted them and we couldn’t sell any. You’ll have to go to one of those places to get it.”

Thank heavens for companies like Stihl. Basically they only sell their well-regarded products through independent servicing dealers. On their web site Stihl explains why you can’t find their chain saws at Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Good for Stihl. My wife and I frequently buy stuff at Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Wal-Mart. But it’d be a huge loss if big box stores ever drive the little guys out of town. So when I can, I’ll be bringing my business to the State Street Saw Shop.

What a terrific honest name for a store.

It’s on State Street. It sells saws. And it’s a shop. My kind of shop.

Comments

[Chris]

Given only 20% of Oregon's jobs provide family wages, there are more than a few workers who must buy at big boxes.
It's tough, but that's clulture change.

[Rain]

Big box stores tend to keep down wages overall, fight against raising minimum wage and against better benefits for employees. It's a frustrating cycle. And yes often their prices are lower but you see people going out with shopping carts full of stuff they most likely didn't need because it seemed cheap. Is buying something we didn't need at a lower price a good deal? I also shop at them sometimes, but give my business to small, local companies whenever I can.