Another of the joys of vintage steel kitchen cabinets is that they hold magnets. Reader Tommy emailed me just yesterday with what looks like a good (great?) source for some accessories that you can affix in a magnetic minute. Tommy wrote:
If you have a Harbor Freight Tools store near you, check out their magnetic paper towel holder that they sell for use on mechanics tool boxes. they are perfect for use in metal kitchens. They also have some other magnetic accessories that can come in handy. Bought some for my shop, and had to go back and get some for the house.
Above: This tray is kinda interesting, too. I can think of a place I could use it: On the inside of the wall cabinet where I keep my vitamins and other medications that I take when I eat. The bottles always get smushed sitting in the cabinet. It could be nice to just swing out the door and there they would be. The candy apple red is even perfect for my kitchen. But I am sure you could shoot these with a high quality spray paint meant for metal to coordinate with your cabinets or accent color.
There is a Harbor Freight Tools in the town next to mine, so I’m gonna go take a look. Ooooooh: Going through every aisle of a hardware store! From my very earliest days as a kid, my favorite was going to the hardware store and looking at everything — how about you?!
Thank you, Tommy, for this great tip!
- There are a few more magnetic storage pieces from this same company (it seems) I found on the Harbor Freight Tools website. I put ‘metallic’ into the Harbor Freight Tools search box and came up with these items.
- And, there is a store locator on the site, too.
Mary Elizabeth says
Love Thomas’ suggestion! Thanks, Thomas.
As for hardware stores, where I lived as a child there was a hardware store of the old-fashioned variety (yes, Jukesgrrl, the wide, squeaky floor boards are a must!) that sold everything from kitchen canisters to lawn mowers (both power and push types). To keep in touch with his four kids, my dad would select one of us each week to go with him to do Saturday errands. First, we might go to the barbershop, where the barber would whisk away all the naughty magazines when he saw me coming. I would leaf through Saturday Evening Post or Life while Dad got his hair cut. Then we went to the hardware store, and I would be assigned to search the various bins to find the particular type and size of nail or screw that Dad needed for his projects that weekend. Meanwhile, he would talk with the store owner about the best type of paint for his project or the best wrench to use to fix the toilet. The hardware store is the place where I began to develop and interest in home repair and cabinetry and my love for all things you can store in little bins. Finally, we ended up at the liquor store, where Dad would purchase one six-pack of beer for the whole week (one beer a night except on Sunday).
Alas, there are very few of these small hardware stores left.
Thomas says
Before you use these magnetic holders, put a strip of clear packing tape to the magnet to help protect your painted cabinet or appliance surface. These types of magnets tend to leave marks when they slide around with use, and these items are intended for garage/shop use where people usually don’t care if it happens to their tool chest.
Karin says
Magnetic towel holder! Who knew? That IS definitely one thing I didn’t know I needed, lol. When I finally get my Youngstowns into place, that is a must have. Thank you, you never cease to surprise and delight us retrophiles. I’m saving one of these babies for my steel kitchen project.
dkzody says
Although I don’t have metal cabinets, I still love this style of paper towel holder. Our 35 year old holder recently broke and hubby had a hard time finding one to attach under the cabinet to replace it. He got the last one OSH had.
maria says
Oh, don’t we love a good hardware store, but don’t forget the office supply store!
I have magnetic file holders on the side of my fridge, much like these, to corral paper.
http://www.staples-3p.com/s7/is/image/Staples/s0025293_sc7?$splssku$
I also have magnetic spice holders on the other side of the fridge.
Sandra says
Disneyland was hardly necessary growing up, when we could go to the hardware or furniture stores.
Jukesgrrl says
Way “back in the day,” my Dad used to take us to a military surplus store called G.I. Joe’s. It had the requisite creaky wooden floor and no one ever dusted the merchandise. That was the only place we ever went where Dad would buy us anything we wanted. “What d’ya want that for? OK, throw it on the pile.” I got a lot of my hippie clothes there. Good times.
pam kueber says
We had the Cavalry Shop!
Carol says
We had Freidman’s Army Navy surplus in Nashville and it was the cheapest place to buy red tag mens Levi jeans. That was back in my uber skinny preppy days and they fit perfect! I bought a peacoat (warm!) and trench coat from there. It was still there a few years ago. Loved that place. My girlfriend and I would hit that place, the vintage clothing shop, McClure’s (fancy) for clearance shoes and the fabric shop across the street for the best wool and linen in Nashville, and the little import bohemian shop for accessories and clothing. Once you “junk”, “scrounge”, “salvage”, “thrift” or whatever you want to call it, there is no turning back. It is always the thrill of the unknown, the unusual, the dusty, the forgotten of the design world, that you just may stumble across and consider a lifelong treasure. Freidman’s was my first encounter thanks to my dad. Oh, and Harbor Freight does have some amazing bargains. But like Eric stated, watch what you get and do some research. Moving blankets, tarps, deerskin gloves and a mechanic stool have been the sum total of my purchases. The quality for the price was amazing.
Katie B. says
Harbor Freight is probably my husband’s most favorite store ever. I like it a lot too. I’ve been thinking about using one of their metal tool carts as a rolling prep area and bar cart.
Carolyn says
Hardware stores are dangerous places, especially old ones. Some of that stuff is unidentifiable but that really doesn’t matter because it’s COOL! “Aw! what is this?” “I dunno.” “Aw, it’s cool, I’m gonna get it!”
I was given a 1969 summer catalog from Trilling’s TrueValue Hardware in Sheboygan, WI. A classmate worked there and she said she wouldn’t be surprised to find some of that merchandise either in the basement or attic. The saying around Sheboygan County is “If you can’t find at FleetFarm, try Trilling’s. If it ain’t there, try Evan’s Dept. Store. If it ain’t THERE, you probably don’t need it.”
The small town hardwares not only have the creaky wood floors and slap-slap screen doors but knowledgeable people to help you. Or Grandpa because he’s usually there daily.
Another dangerous place is if you’re working in manufacturing and come across supply catalogs…uh-oh. You sure can find things you didn’t know you NEEDED.
Susan Halla says
And just in time, this weekend is the Harbor Freight Friends and Family sale with 25% off any one item:
http://www.harborfreight.com/digitalsavings.html
(There’s a 20% off coupon on this page but at the top of the page you can click on Friends and Family to get the 25% off coupon).
I’m with you, Pam. I can just wander hardware store aisles for hours. I go in needing one thing and walk out with several other things that I didn’t know that I needed!
Erik in Minneapolis says
You can sign up for Harbor Freight’s mailing list for their monthly catalog which includes coupons and for their email list (you will get three to five emails a week but, in my opinion, they are worth getting).
Most of the merchandise at Harbor Freight is manufactured in China. Also, many of the items they sell are sold by other retailers – same manufacturers, just different brand names and sometimes slight product variations but usually at a higher price.
My advice: before purchasing something from Harbor Freight, read the online product review on their website. They have some great items and some real dogs. I have always consulted the product reviews prior to making a purchase and have yet to be disappointed. I have also left my own product reviews on their website (which have been positive so far) which they have published. Seeing that they have both positive and negative product reviews on their website and they have published my reviews, I do believe that all the reviews on their website are legitimate and can be trusted.
Janet in ME says
In a house we rented, they had a plastic magnetic kitchen towel rod on the fridge and I just loved it. I can think of a lot of things I would love to attach to the hood, stove and fridge, if you don’t have metal cabinets. Great ideas!