A Tuba Museum’s Lesson in History--and Metallurgy
Polishing brass and silver is instrumental to upkeep. Tackle tarnish with these tips.
Mom & Pop Hardware
Dedicated to independent hardware stores in Kansas and everywhere else.
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If the Amish Shun Electricity, How Can They Use Power Tools?
The answer involves a little religious conversion involving machinery
The Making of 'Mom & Pop Hardware'
How a Wall Street Journal article resulted in my memoir--a story about family, loyalty, rivalry and resilience
Like Hardware-Store Cats, ALL Felines Need a Job
Otherwise they'll become drug-addled ruffians that steal from their mother's purse
Hardware Stores Flaunt Their Cattitude
Owners put their feline influencers to work in marketing, advertising and merchandising. But first, a nap.
Mom's Ice Cream Freezer Was Supposed to Make Money
Instead, this five-gallon behemoth has been churning up family memories for 40 years
The Recycling Rift in My Marriage
Why teeny-tiny bin labels are creating a massive recycling rift at my house
Alt Rocker Jack White Showcases 'Hardware Store Art'
But the lesser-known Beth DeCarbo collection rivals the multi-Platinum guitarist's exhibit
Warning Labels That Make You Say 'DUH!'
Owner's manuals forbid the unthinkable--probably because somebody once tried it
A Trip to Kansas Is a Trip in Hail
But a Particularly Dangerous Situation Led to 'Remarkably Bright Creatures'
Tale of the Tape Measure
Did short-sighted engineers long ago doom the Stanley Black & Decker factory today?
Happy 100th Birthday to a Hardware Legend
What will people say about me in 2065? (Wait, don't answer that.)
Way Before the Internet, the West Already Was Wired
Back in the frontier days, barbed-wire reshaped the open range. But crediting its 'inventor' remains controversial--a lesson for innovators even today.
The Wall Outlet Was Incorrectly Named
And now it's too late to fix this historical flub
Every Bunny Loves a Free Craft Project
Download this template to relive the magic of Easter--until a cat crashes the party
A Sexy Customer Puts Home Depot to the Test
Will a TikToker's slutty outfit bewitch sales associates at the hardware store?
My Worst Nightmare: A Hodgepodge of Hardware
(Actually, my worst nightmare is burning alive in a fiery crash)
Some Alternate Uses for Rolling Toolboxes
I'm sharing these ideas because that's how friends help each other out, right?
Alleged 'Screw Bandit' Nailed
Authorities say suspect weaponized hardware to target his ex-wife's neighborhood
A Tribute to Karan
Since the early days of our parents' hardware stores, my sister was a big part of my life