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Appreciation post: The old hardware store near me still mixes paint by hand
Stopped into McGregor's Hardware over on Elm Street last Saturday to grab a quart of eggshell for a bathroom touch-up. The guy behind the counter actually pulled out a stirring stick and started mixing it manually instead of just shaking it on the machine. Am I the only one who thinks there's something special about places that still do things the old way like that?
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christopher_flores468d agoMost Upvoted
Honestly this changed my mind a little bit. I used to be one of those people who romanticized the whole hand-mixed thing too, thought it was part of the charm of a real hardware store. But then I had a similar experience where the guy missed the mark by a noticeable shade and I had to repaint a whole wall section. Your mileage may vary of course, but once you factor in the time and frustration of fixing a bad batch, the machine starts looking pretty good. I still appreciate the effort and the atmosphere of a place like that, but for actual color accuracy I'm leaning more toward the machine now. The stirring stick method just has too much room for human error in my experience.
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willow_ellis9d ago
Oh man, I gotta respectfully disagree with you here. I used to love the whole "hand mixed paint" thing too until I watched the guy at my local place eye the color and just guess on the tint amounts. Ended up with paint that was way off from the sample chip and had to bring it back. The shaking machines are actually way more accurate (and consistent batch to batch) which matters a lot when you're trying to match something exactly. Plus honestly, the stirring stick method leaves clumps half the time if they don't do it right. I get the nostalgia factor but for something like paint where color match matters, I'll take the machine every time.
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janac598d ago
@willow_ellis Yeah, I totally get where you're coming from. Watched a guy at the old hardware store eyeball the tint drops and it was basically a guessing game. Ended up with pinkish beige instead of warm beige, had to remix the whole gallon. Machines might not have that personal touch but they sure don't screw up batches like a tired employee on a Saturday afternoon.
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