Bliffert Lumber & Hardware

Great selection of products, quality lumber, and the best people. The staff is always helpful, knowledgeable and never makes you feel like you’re asking stupid questions. Bliffert will always be my neighborhood hardware store even after I leave the neighborhood.

I was introduced to this place when the Amazing Milwaukee Race had a stop here on 04÷25÷15.
My husband and I returned here to purchase so items (from the greenhouse) and drain cleaner. The plants I bought were reasonably priced and to be honest, cheaper than the big box stores that sell plants.
The staff were very helpful and answered all our questions.
We will be back!

Alright this is the way a hardware store or any other retail business should be.
What really strikes me with this place is that it has everything with a the small town feel. Think about it this way…
You walk into a store with a project at hand and you’re most likely eager to get started. Now you could go a Home Depot or Menards and spend 75% of your time endlessly walking around never finding an employee to help locate your 99 cent doohickey. However at Bliffert’s you are instantly greeted by someone in a blue jacket who knows where to go and wants to help you. Now if your stuck at whatever point in your project, I assure you that they have the knowledge base to help solve the problem. While the store might seem small, it is jam packed with anything you might need and at a reasonable price. I can definitely say that I am making Bliffert’s my goto hardware store.

The staff is really nice and they really have a pretty huge selection of things. I’ve never left there without what I was looking for.

The moment you step into this place, someone invariably starts blasting you with inordinate amounts of excellent customer service. They will not let up, and they will keep doing this to you no matter how many times you come back. Do not be put off by this. It may be unexpected and even a little surprising at first, but with time you will come to appreciate it.
And on top of that, it turns out they’re also a really good place to buy hardware.

I can see why people have so much love for Blifferts. It’s big enough to have everything you need (including a surprisingly big lumberyard) but not so big that you’ll get lost looking for a furnace filter. As pretty much everyone who’s reviewed this place notes the staff here is really friendly and helpful — they know exactly where that weird fitting you need is.
Like any good quality hardware store, Blifferts is a study in people buying random shit. The Mister needed some electrical fittings, a furnace filter, a propane refill and some other hardware-​y thing. They had it all, we found it easily and it was fairly priced. They sharpen ice skates too, should you need that service. I saw the sign on the door when we came in and thought «wow, that’s kind of a random thing» but as we were checking out a guy brought in a pair of hockey skates for sharpening.
Also, any place that is animal friendly wins an extra star from me. There were signs encouraging customer to submit pet photos for an upcoming contest, there’s a nice fish tank to check out and I hear that sometimes there’s a dog or two hanging in the store.

This hardware/​general store really represents the area that it is in really nicely. It is perfect for Riverwest and love that it is family owned and operated.
Having lived a few blocks away I stopped in here a few times to get plants for the house, hardware for misc jobs, shovels, etc. Each time I have been there the staff is friendly and wants to talk to you about the project you are working on and how they can help you get it done and get it done right.
This isn’t going to have the selection of a big box store yet you aren’t going to get the attention to detail anywhere else. Support a local business and a family business and get weird in Riverwest with Bliffert.

Folks, Bliffert isn’t an ordinary hardware store — this place has heart… and a ton of merch (in the store and in the lumberyard). On my last visit, I bought a set of halogen bulbs, some chain (which they cut for me), a dish pan, Mrs. Meyers hand soap, suet, Zip-​loc bags and a rake.
The staff is always happy to offer advice and asks plenty of questions about your project to make sure they’re suggesting the right supplies. And here’s what sets them apart from the big guys: The next time you come in, they ask how your project went. Now that’s service.

Easily five star. The staff is extremely helpful and the prices competitive with the big box retailers. This is my default hardware store. I’ve only had to look elsewhere once when they didn’t stock enough variety of leaf blowers.

I needed a reciept copy for a purchase I had made 2 weeks ago. It took us 30mins to find it but they did it! Love you guys!

…at the time of the last big snowstorm, the augur blades did not turn on my 24″ snowthrower. Greg replaced a sheer pin in a matter of minutes and there was no charge. A BIG shout-​out for Bliffert Lumber! I wholeheartedly recommend them !

Just read the below reviews ’cause you ain’t gonna hear any different from me. Local, family owned and operated, way more than just a hardware store… it’s a throwback to values and quality. It’s something that you will not find at a Home Depot, a Walmart, anywhere. It’s a Ben Franklin odds and end of old, wrapped in a hardware store moniker. Sleds, gloves, knives, wood, oil, lights, plants, jackets, chains, mouse traps… plenty of smiles and hellos to go around.
Blifferts you have my loyalty.

This probably is my favorite store in Riverwest. It seems I find myself going to Bliffert more than any other store since it opened a few years ago. The staff is incredibly friendly, and if they don’t have something you are looking for, they’re more than happy to order it for you. They’ll sharpen your skates, or knives, and gladly give you advice when you’re preparing for your next home project.
They’re also dog friendly, and if you’re gonna be in and out, they let you bring your bike in there.
One time they even gave us a beer as they were closing just because «we’ve all made it through Monday.» Good luck getting THAT at the Home Depot!!!

I wouldn’t call myself a «handy-​lady.» Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been known to sling a glue gun, and I can (sort of) sew.
When it comes to building, using tools, touching anything electrical… I should be left a spectator.
However, when I needed to build shelves in my kitchen that (desperately) lacked counter space. I had to do it myself. Thanks to the lovely staff at Bliffert, I went in with measurements and left with a new lease on life. The guys in the lumber yard were super helpful, and pretty much walked me through the entire process. From finding a stud to staining the wood. Crazy helpful.
They even asked me during my next visit how my shelves turned out. I love this hardware store.
If you want to shop at a place where the staff cares about their customer base, is locally owned and has everything you need, go to Bliffert.

YOU WOKE UP IN AN ABANDONED CAR NEXT TO THE OLD TOWER AUTOMOTIVE PLANT.
A skinny dog barked at a brick wall, about 30 feet up the sidewalk. For no reason. There was nothing particular about the wall. The dog simply stood in place, barking rhythmically, around 4 seconds between each salvo.
You decided the dog was very likely, and with the flavor of your cruel, long-​dead grandmother, a victim of dementia.
Freezing, freezing. Your confusion and fear hid from you temporarily how very cold it was. Yet you were drenched in sweat… Heavy, hanging clothes that you did not recognize or fill out as your own. (BARK) Had you previously weighed much more? Just before your (BARK) mysterious slumber? And who was it, exactly, that brought you here? Perhaps a shady liposuction provider… maybe a free-​wheeling distributor of rohypnol… What was your name? Now true horror…
You remembered well enough to go east as you stumbled and reeled down the street. Groups of thugs parted as you played at Moses, your stink of desperation and insanity pushing them to the side while you crossed a dry sea of hovering doom. But you were quite sure God had long ago thrown you to the winds, and you lead no exodus but for the trailing shadows of your fear.
After a seemingly endless march through the broken urban landscape, a small beacon of hope appeared. You recalled that you were in need of a ball peen hammer and some drywall screws. Your identity still escaped you, but it was glaringly obvious in your heart of hearts that only fairly priced plumbing components and the sole lumber supply in the central city were the end game in your terrible Odyssey.
You had made it to Blifferts. The clouds parted and the heavy cloak of torture lifted from your defeated body. Further exploration revealed a competent, friendly staff. Shining, virgin keys were made from your originals. As you paid for your purchases it all made sense. Everything fell into place… you were home, you were safe. You smiled to yourself as you imagined sending the receipt to your landlord, with a reduced rent check reflecting the cost of the repairs you made on your shitty apartment by the Falcon Bowl.

Local.
Friendly, helpful, knowledgeable service you won’t find at the competition. Sure the prices are $ 1 or $ 2 higher — but I’d say it’s worth it to support the little guy.
It also has this really charming feel to it. I can’t exactly describe it — but I just want to go back, and will!

Locally owned + family owned and operated, Bliffert’s fantastically helpful staff and great selection of hardware-​y, lumber-​y, handyman-​y type things makes them the proverbial jam. Rope? Tarps? Wood? Nails? Paint? Weird stuff? Check.
Why in sam hell would you patronize a big box hardware store when Bliffert’s right next to Alterra Humboldt?
I frickin’ love the smell of hardware stores. I don’t know.
Anywhoo:
Go to here and buy stuff because Bliffert’s way more awesome than pretty much any other hardware store. Bob Pearson would buy stuff from here, I bet.
Sorry. Unilocal inside joke. Don’t hate me.

You gotta love a hardware store that has a dog to greet you when you walk in. Manny, I think his name is, a German Shepard mix is super cute and so friendly! Bliffert is the old fashioned hardware store. By old fashioned, I mean people that are at the counter to greet you and ask if there is anything they can help you find? By old fashioned, I mean a parking lot that is manageable and a store you do not get lost in. You can get your stuff and get out. I like that.
They have your basic hardware stuff and have most of the «green» yard products as well– Rain barrels, composters, Purple Cow compost.
Their prices were very reasonable too– so don’t think that is an issue! I recommend Bliffert Lumber to anyone seeking good customer service in a hardware store.

This is a great store and I feel lucky that it’s within walking distance of my house! Both times I’ve visited the staff was friendly and very helpful. They were interested in my project and finding the best product for me to use for it.
I’m glad I have this option now instead of the chain stores.

This place is simply incredible. They have just about everything you could possibly need in stock, and what they don’t have they will order for you. They were extremely helpful. I think the first time I went in I had four different people at least ask if I needed help, and one of them even took my list and walked around with me to find everything I needed. Extra kudos go to Ken for helping me put together my mash tun, and by helping me I pretty much mean doing it nearly entirely while I watched.