Hippo Hardware

Looking for vintage screen doors — small selection and sky high prices!
Didn’t have one single vintage farm sink either. If you’re looking for hardware or lamps this is the place! Not a great selection of fireplace andirons either.

I ordered two large Ceramic toilet bolt covers. They were a little more than I’d like to have paid, but I got them shipped fast and they are very nice and already in place. Also, they didn’t overcharge for shipping like some online companies do, so that was also a plus. I’d buy from them again.

One word: Bobby. After seeing the outside of the store we were intrigued and decided to pop in. We’re in need of tracks for sliding doors and asked for some help finding what we needed. Like the expert salesman he is, Bobby asked us questions to find out exactly what we needed as he simultaneously helped other customers out and answered the phone. He took us down to see the inventory he had and when we discovered it wouldn’t work for our project he gave us a list of local hardware stores that would carry it. He then offered for us to bring in the pieces and he would age them «free of charge since I didn’t have what you were looking for.» Amazing customer service, we will be back!

Expensive! It doesn’t make sense to mark up those ‘vintage goods’ as much as they do. For example: Sitting in a box on the floor there was a typical door knob set, still in the package, with a hand-​written $ 46 on it, that one could still buy for $ 19.99 in a typical hardware store.
The store owner probably believes that ‘Well, it’s supply and demand! You just can’t get stuff like a rusty, non-​functional toilet these days– Just write $ 750 on it with a sharpie and put it out on the sales floor.‘
They market to one-​time-​through tourists, rather than to the people who live here that are trying to fix something in their old house.
Just to hit the point home: there was a fully rusty square-​head bolt in a bin full of the same crap, for $ 10 — absurd! ‘Well, square heads are rare you know…’

The folks at Hippo made me remember the Oregon I grew up with, real people with a love for what their doing. I was greeted at the door with classic Portland style and zanny humor. The place is full of vintage items for eye candy.
I came with a mid century sink dilemma and Andy was so helpful as my husband and I got a mini lesson on how to go fix the faucet we have and can’t replace.
I’ve been missing this kind of customer service.
Hippo is just fun to browse on a rainy day! I’ll be back.

Love this place and the excellent array of antique hardware and finishings, and the beautiful collection of antique doors and windows! Dave was extremely helpful. Love the quirky atmosphere too!

We are talking old school hardware. Pricy, ok, but when you need some antique hardware, or in my case some specialized lamp hardware, where else? The folks know their stuff, they want to help, and they’ll right up your purchase chit by hand, then send you downstairs to settle up. I scored some awesome braided wire for a lamp I made.

I can’t stress how much I love this place! Every Realtor needs somewhere to send clients for hard to find vintage fixtures. There is nothing like finding a doorknob that matches or at least coordinates with the existing 1926 fixtures after a long search. When i bought my own house, I had a whole lot of fixtures to replace/​repair and Hippo had everything I need. Antique freaks rejoice!

I will NEVER come to this shop again. The shop owners pretend to be nice but that’s only if you’re not inconveniencing them. It took over 3 weeks to do something they said would certainly take less than two.
After having my order for 2 weeks I got a call about how long I wanted the cord, which was all written down in my original conversation with Jane. I called back on a Sunday at 11:55am and someone answered the phone so I said I was returning a call from Jane to which they replied, «We aren’t open. Call back at 12.» Really? FIVE MINUTES? Fine. I hung up already irritated and called back 5 minutes later. Someone else answered the phone and I again said I was returning a call from Jane about an order. «Well she doesn’t work today.» Okay… Well can someone help me with my order? «Just tell me I guess.» Oh that makes me feel good about the $ 200 I dropped in your store. I started to tell this gentleman named Andy about the length I thought would work and asked if that sounded about right for 8.5′ ceilings and he just says, «How should I know it’s your light.» Wow. Really? I’m asking for your help and you’re going to be a jerk. I gave him the measurement and hung up on them.
More weeks go by before my order is finally ready and I come in to pick it up to stand there for 20 minutes before anyone pays attention to me or even says hello or hang on in their sweltering building and when I finally get my order back I see on a piece of paper they wrote, «CUTIE! Any ideas?»
Are you fucking kidding me??? You are a horrid service place and I will ensure everyone knows that apparently you think women are stupid with a pretty face to treat them this way.

Sell your stuff at a garage sale. You’ll get a fairer price than at Hippo. Or donated it to Goodwill or Rebuilders where you’ll be appreciated, not insulted.

This place is insanely awesome. The sheer quantity of antique knobs, hardware, lighting pieces, old wooden and glass doors and windows is absolutely incredible and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. This place is an absolute gem and DIYer’s dream complete with knowledgable friendly staff that are more than helpful in steering you through the store’s massive selection of one-​of-​a-​kind pieces. I ended up bringing home two antique brass knobs for a hutch I refinished. They sold me the hardware for installing and were incredibly helpful. I highly highly recommend this place!

What a shame. This could be a gem of a store, with their massive inventory and great finds. BUT… the prices are way too high.
Even the minor hardware is nearly double in price. For example, 1−¼th inch glass hexagonal drawer pulls (repro) are $ 6.00 each whereas at other locations right here in PDX they run $ 3.00-$ 3.75.
But you know, I could take higher prices if I knew I would be supporting cool people who pay their employees fairly and treat them (and us) with respect and courtesy. Not the case here. When I first walked in the older woman who I am to assume is the owner was loudly berating an employee. Worse though, is that he might have an intellectual disability. Nonetheless, it’s a major red-​flag when owners/​employees are fighting and screaming at each other and airing their dirty laundry in front of customers. But to berate someone in a lower position — reeks of exploitation.
The lighting «expert» was also incredibly callous and rude, but also a fibber, who tended to spend more time bragging about his expertise (in engineering… yeah. okay buddy), then offering any real help. Prices were all over the place, often ad-​hock. There was another guy up at lighting who was genuinely nice, but what sucked is that head-​lighting-​expert-​man was really mean to him — barking orders and well, just being a dick. It’s really a matter of time before this nice guy goes sour too. Anyone would after having to put up with this culture of hostility.
As I went to pay for my things I mentioned that I did not care for their cavalier and smarmy attitude toward me, and they (who I assume were the owners) became defensive over it, and then cold and brash. This even extended to when I was already outside of their shop on the sidewalk and one of their (quirky, smh) employees murmured a slur toward me under his breath.
What I got out of my visit is that this just seems to be the culture of the place, and that because they have built a business on a myth of eccentricity and quirkiness, that they can skirt their duty to to treat their employees with dignity and respect. Shame.

Staff in lighting area rude. After 20 minute wait for his help guy with the weird thing on his ears blew us off to go help somebody else saying I’ve got to go help someone else. I was trying to buy $ 400 light. He had helped us for all of three minutes. We left.

AMAZING! My honey and I visited here with friends this past weekend and walked out with some cool novelty mermaid items and an antique picture frame!

I never thought I’d review a hardware store on Unilocal,but here I am.
While visiting Portland, I decided to check out Hippo Hardware. Upon walking in, the female co-​owner looked at my girlfriend and I and said, «You two aren’t allowed here.» There was a moment of awkward silence before she exclaimed, «FOR BEING SO CUTE.» Then, she transformed into a jovial, lovable older women who introduced us to the scores of rows of handles, knobs, knockers, and every possible piece of hardware you could imagine.
Later in our trip, the male co-​owner approached me and started going on about how «he was the kid at the end of the block my parents wouldn’t let me play with,» and that he would refund me for anything, even if I lived across the country. I don’t know if I’ve ever met a business owner more accommodating.
Aside from the owners, this place is a DIYers dream. You want a quirky old door? They have it. Reclaimed wood? Check. Vintage handles for your Victorian remodel? Check. A lamp that looks like something from 1947 with a touch of eccentricity? DOUBLE CHECK. I ended up buying a vintage Coca Cola wall-​mounted bottle opener.
If you go here, get ready for a vintage party. And. uh…don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

What was once the butt of a national joke, this place is truly a relic of Portland that keeps on living. Even some of the staff seem like relics and will help you reestablish some earthly soul into your «fixer upper». Turn of the century plumbing, lighting, and fixtures add character for which to personalize who you are. I couldn’t find a lighting fixture as my Wife and I thought the choices were a little spendy. Couldn’t find anything for our clawfoot tub, either. Since the housing market has been busy, seems like the choices are becoming smaller. I truly hope that they can keep the Portland spirit alive. (there just has to be something that I need there !!)

I know it’s not the most conventional of stops on a tour of Portland, but I had a great time at Hippo Hardware. I wasn’t expecting much, but after hearing from a friend that they had some authentically cool stuff I had to make the trip.
I went in and immediately was amazed. I mean really, who actually finds hardware stores exciting? I expected a bunch of old shower faucets and knobs of some kind, but instead I was greeted with a treasure trove from the past. Between the stained glass and turn of the century fixtures I was perplexed as to how such a store could operate and with multiple floors to boot! I found myself and hour in and still fascinated.
After speaking with a clerk I purchased two old French-​victorian faucet knobs that I knew my friend would know what to do with. That being said, I now have a new affinity for hardware… and my friend has a new set of earrings.

I have been trying to get to Hippo Hardware for quite awhile despite the fact that my apt is less than half a mile away. I am moving out of state in a few days so last weekend I finally made the treacherous pilgrimage up the street. I’m so glad I did. This building is like a rickety old wagon pieced together with old latches and yet somehow remains to stand firmly. There are multiple levels and stairways to magically take you to another place in time. Latches and hinges (which was my reason for going), lighting, bathroom showers, sinks, shelves, …and then don’t forget about the basement where you will find door frames, window frames and so much more. There are hard hats to actually crawl under the floors of the basement where you will find molding and other trimings.
The icing on the cake was the customer service. Bobby was busy talking with a customer when I walked in but after over an hour of me roaming the store and digging thru multiple bins to find matching hinges for my latch I picked out… he found me. He wanted to take a look at the latch to make sure it was working properly. It wasnt. He took that thing apart and gave it a complete overhaul and then gave me matching screws. It was super rad and probably the best customer service I have received in my 4.5 years of living in Portland. I took pics of Bobby working on the latch that I will post, he is a true gem. Genuine and truly himslef. He’s not trying to be hip or cool, but by default he totally is. Do yourself a favor and shop at Hippo. Forget the big box chain stores.

Quirky. Nostalgic. Fun. Variety beyond belief.
Carnival meets genius.
The place to go to:
–Find one-​of-​a-​kind fixtures and ceiling lights
–Be amazed
–Gawk
-(And, if you’re lucky enough to meet the owner) get philosophized.
Worth the trip (it is a trip), even if you don’t need anything (but please support if you do). While there, be sure to watch for hippo sitings.
Hippo Hardware, keepin’ Portland weird.

I have been shopping here with my parents since I was a kid. Fast forward to now and my husband and I own a 1910 craftsman. We come here often to pick up picture molding hooks (I should have just bought 50 to begin with) and just poke around. Recently we had our bathroom lock degreased and restored for the not so expensive fee of $ 20. We have also bought random replacement items for our house that can not be found in a regular hardware store.
We plan to buy a claw foot tub eventually and this will be my first stop.
Now to my complaint. The store is not very clean. Especially the lighting, honestly it’s a little sketchy, and it’s expensive. No thanks. The old creaky building is part of the charm, but it and everything in it needs a good scrubbing and dusting.