Farewell Woodcraft Chattanooga

Yes, sadly another example of “It Worked”, “the private sector is doing fine”.
Must be because “they didn’t build that.”

I personally can feel their pain. I lost my job of 30 years thanks to the idiot policies of “The Won”.

Amen to both prior comments. I’ve purchased many items there and all were supported with great advise and suggestions from really great woodworkers. Living in Soddy daisy and not driving I’m rarely able to shop at will, but those guys always were ready to hold an item for me till I could get over across town. So sorry for their closing. My wife also regets their demise as she also shopped for her own tools. Russell Pitner

-- Russell Pitner Hixson, TN 37343 bassboy40@outlook.com

This bothers me. I’ve talked to my brother about us investing in a Woodcraft store in our area. We’re already in the molding business and even though they would be separate businesses we have always thought that they could enhance each other. It’s hard to make any plans when you’re in a situation like this economy where you don’t really know what the government is going to do next or what your expenses will be. We’re not even buying new machinery anymore. We used to replace our equipment whenever the maintenance cost got to be a little above the monthly cost of new machinery. This is how we used to keep our equipment modern and up to date, but not any more. This country is really going downhill.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

I have always loved Woodcraft ever since I can remember. I’ve been a Woodcraft customer for 40 years. Shortly after my wife and I were married in 1971 I bought my first set of hand tools from Woodcraft for $1000. I must have spent 40 hours thinking about which tools I would buy so I didn’t take the purchase lightly. Back then $1000 was a lot of money and could buy a whole lot more than it can today. You could buy a Ford Granada for $5000, for example. We ended up buying a new Kharman Ghia for $2700. We drove that Kharman Ghia for 5 years and we sold it for $2500 so it turned out to be a good investment. I wish that I still had that car. I already had some tools that I had scraped up during High School so I was adding to what I already had. It was my first big woodworking investment. Every catalog I got I would look at it for hours. In fact, every other woodworking catalog that I got I would look at for hours.

In Atlanta, Woodcraft’s biggest competitor is Highland Hardware. I think I’ve been doing business with them for at least 30 years – maybe close to 40 – I can’t remember when they started. They are both a retail outfit and an internet and catalog business. I tried to get down to both stores at least once every three months but that really proved to be difficult even though they are both only 35 or 45 miles from my home. Invariably, that is going to add up to a 3 to 6 hour trip since you are going to want to browse in the stores and then you have to encounter rush hour traffic which is never pleasant. If you go on the weekend then traffic is not so bad but then I’m cutting into my woodworking time which is usually the weekend.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

It’s a tough business. Many (most??) customers come and look then go home an order it off the web.

-- Joe

Joe were you the franchise owner? Your staff of Chris, Randy Colby et. al are OUTSTANDING people.

-- Russell Pitner Hixson, TN 37343 bassboy40@outlook.com

I hope the one local to me stays open, there is nothing closer except Lowes and HD and I’ve stopped shopping there except for 2×4s and cheap ply. Only place I buy tools is craigslist or woodcraft and always woodcraft if I can afford new because they’re always helpful in making recommendations.

-- --Rev. Russ in NY-- A posse ad esse

Handtooler

No, I have no connection with that Woodcraft, or any other. (I’ve been retired for 4+ years.)

I was just making a general statement about that and similar brick and mortar retail businesses. That is the reason you hardly ever see things like computers, cameras, etc. in small stores.

PS
The nearest Woodcraft store from where I live is over a hundred miles, and the nearest Rockler is further so my only option is web based buying. Like Rev. Russ, I only buy generic hardware and dimensional lumber from the big box stores.

-- Joe

The Woodcraft in Fort Lauderdale closed over a year ago due to the same reason and it is a 3 hour drive to the closest. I feel your loss and pain!

My Knoxville Woodcraft was awesome. Sorry to hear this.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

The one in my neck of the woods closed last December…

We no longer have a single place in Rhode Island to buy tools other than the big box stores.
The last independent store is actually trying to hold on, but they have about 30% of the normal inventory, so you can’t actually buy anything there, and thus can;t support them.

-- Without the wood, it's just working

Why do you guys care? Both Woodcraft and Rockler sell on Amazon, and you get free shipping. Other than getting your eyeballs on the wood you’re buying, why would you go into the store anyway?

I am not being a smart* ... my local Woodcraft store is over 10 miles away from me … with gas prices what they are, and me driving an F150 … that’s $5 surcharge JUST to go look in the store. And my local Rockler is 15 miles the other direction.

Back to the wood … the only thing I’d miss is the exotic turning stock. Otherwise I shop at my local Ganahl Lumber and two other hardwood suppliers ... they have a better selection of hardwoods and better prices than Rockler or Woodcraft ever thought of.

Here in phoenix the woodcraft wants to add a second sore on the oppisite side of town. They are doing pretty good.

-- Ken, USAF MSgt, Ret.

“Why do you guys care? Both Woodcraft and Rockler sell on Amazon, and you get free shipping. Other than getting your eyeballs on the wood you’re buying, why would you go into the store anyway?”

Zinderin remarked.

That’s just wrong dude.

I care that my local Woodcraft stays afloat because;

1. They pay taxes that help keep my taxes down.
2. They employ local people who also pay taxes that help keep my taxes down.
3. Their employees spend their wages locally which helps other local businesses stay open.
4. Those other local businesses also pay taxes and employ even more local people.
5. Internet businesses do very little if anything at all to help my local economy.
6. My RAM 1500 likes the people who work there.