Workingman’s Headquarters

If you need key copies (or anything!), you should absolutely visit this treasure while it’s still around.
Never have I seen a place so perfectly ready to be the scene and setting and characters for a Pixar animated short.

I’ve had guests stay at my house for years and barely be able to unlock the door with the spare set. The issue is that my key was already a copy, so a copy of copy just never worked, like Michael Keaton’s character in Multiplicity. After trying every key copy place in the neighborhood and then some, I read the Unilocal reviews for this place and decided to try it.
Workman’s Headquarters looks like the inside of a hoarders apartment, but I’m not holding that against them. I have a feeling the man at the counter knows exactly where everything is.
I explained the copy of a copy situation, and I got two key copies for $ 8. If it’s even possible, the key copies work perfectly, better than the original copy. This place has solved a major problem for me, and for that, I am forever grateful.

This must be the most fantastic shop in the entire Mission district. 2 very old brothers own it and you can find anything hardware in it. They’ve made several keys for me, and the keys always, always work from the first time. Their service is great, they’re always polite and prompt. If you need keys or hardware (nails and what not), this is the place to go. Why would anybody go to big box chain if they have this miracle shop just around the corner is beyond me. I hope this store remains open for long time.

Awesome owner! These guys are super helpful, worked to give me great advice and save me a bit of money.

When I moved to the Mission in the mid 80s everyone said it was a miracle these old guys were still open. Even then. It’s beyond miraculous they’re still open. I shop here often. It’s like the Statue of Liberty – always there.
I’ll cry when they eventually close and hopefully they’ll pass it on to someone who will take care of it. These two guys are like your dream grandpas. They know everything about everything and usually have the part. Old school doesn’t begin to describe them. You don’t shop here exactly — you tell them what you need and they find it for you. Exactly.
I love these men. And if you need to buy a used tookl this is heaven. The ultimate recycle/​reuse.

Before all the mission hipsters get worked up, let’s all take a breath and think about this joint realistically.
I own a business not too terribly far away, and have been here maybe a couple more times than I have wanted to.
That being said. These guys are SUPER helpful, and they have almost anything you would ever need. Oh yeah, both owners are almost a century year old, they hate when you touch anything in the shop, and they will sometimes argue with you until the point where you leave with something you don’t want, just so you can leave. It also looks like a hoarders paradise. To the point of almost being impressive.
But overall, as long as it’s not your only go to shop, you will find tons of quality goodies at a more than fair price. Just don’t go in all willy nilly thinking you can just touch whatever you want

Love this place. Came here to get keys made after going to two separate key-​making locations on Mission two times each in the same day. No one could make me a decent copy of my key. Every time I got home to test it, it didn’t work and I had to go back. Finally I remembered I had seen this place very close to where I live. I went there and told the guy the issue I was having — that the key sticks, and all the copies being made weren’t working AT ALL. He took that into consideration and made a key from the SAME key everyone else had been trying to copy, and when I got home, it worked perfectly. So I came back again and had a few more made, so now his original copy is my new master key. Genius. And close. And friendly. Support your neighborhood businesses!

Got 4 keys made for $ 2 a pop by a nice old man who’s probably been running that shop for the last few decades. Classical music playing in the background was entertaining while I waited for my keys!

Imagine walking into your grandfather’s garage, and there are tools and hardware everywhere. That’s Workingman’s Headquarters in a nutshell. If you need something, approach one of the two gents working here. They will find anything you need.

Needed to get some keys copied so I came and saw Joe. This is an old school hardware store with just about every imaginable thing you could need. Like others have said don’t bother looking, just ask. It’s full service.
Not sure how long Joe has been working here, but he is knowledgeable on all topics. Got my keys made quickly and all of them worked no problem. I’m happy to be able to support a local business instead of a big box chain.

Honest owners. Got my keys copied and he gave me a key loop and two separate colors so I could tell them apart. In and out in 2mins.

This store is a trip. Stuff everywhere. Don’t even bother looking for anything, just ask. It seems as if you are disturbing their stuff if you start poking around for things. That being said, they can usually dig out what you need if you just give them a moment.
Might need to haggle over the price a little bit if you are looking for a very specific tool or piece but that is half the fun. Just try the walk out maneuver or ask to speak to the other guy, they might try to run the good cop/​bad cop

This is a vintage hardware store with stuff stacked in different places, unreachable without first clearing a path, un-​findable without being one of the two gentlemen proprietors. I think if the store was larger, it would be well organized, but they have soooo much stuff crammed into their small space, the result is what you get.
I needed a scroll saw. One of the men shuffled back to the rear of the store. He returned a few minutes later saying he spotted one back there. I joined him and proceeded to dig through a shelf from the back side in order to extract the saw. After 5 minutes of rearranging their shelves, I finally managed to grab a hold and pull it out. It was an old Dremel scroll saw, full of dust, but basically in good condition. We took it to the front counter and plugged it in… Voila! It purred like a kitten. They even had the vintage blades for it in their vintage Dremel case which is pretty well stocked. The saw cost $ 20 and the blades were $ 2.79.
Make sure you ask for whatever it is you’re looking for. With some digging you may find a bargain.

You enter the headquarters, and you will feel perfectly at home if you
1. Need a key
It is quick, cheap and reliable. Need I say more?
2. Artists who needs inspiration
Just peak through the piping, rope, trinkets galore. Look in the display cabinets littered with dusty hooks, latches and screws. Explore the used tools and widgets.
3. Are bored
Chat up the owner. You will be transported back to the old mission
Beware his passed out friend behind the other counter, he can catch you off guard.
Do not enter if
1. You need something very specific
2. You need anything quick (other than keys)
3. You don’t like clutter.

4 keys for $ 8 done in a minute. What is not to like!!!

this place feels like stepping into your grandpa’s garage — which is a good thing because the two older gentlemen here know their stuff.
I had them copy keys for my motorcycle, and Mark helped even filing down the key thickness because it was getting stuck. The cost was only $ 4, and the service provided was above and beyond — even making sure it worked with the bike after the fact. I was turned away from ABC locksmith since I had my own blank, but happy to give my business to these guys.

Workingman’s HQ is an old-​style hardware store. You won’t find plants here, you won’t find gimmicky plastic tools. You will find an impenetrable maze of nuts, bolts, fittings, and industrial tools ranging from bargains to over-​priced. You will also find Joe. Joe cuts the best keys I’ve ever had made. All of them slide right in the lock and turn like butter. He keeps weird key blanks on hand, so when you need a duplicate key for your mailbox and Cole Hardware says they can’t cut it, turn left and walk north up Mission to Working Man’s Headquarters. Two keys will run you enough under $ 5 to buy a snack at King’s Bakery across the street.
PROS: Great keys. Hard to find hardware items. Occasional bargains. Location convenient to bus and 24^th street BART. Classical music all the time (Flight of the Bumblebee is a great accompaniment to key grinding)
CONS: The organization. You have to know what you need. Ask them and they’ll unearth it for you. Sometimes they’re a little gruff in an endearing old man way or will lecture you on improper tool/​key use.

Just purchased a brand spanking used bight red Swingline heavy duty tacker (stable gun) and some ¼″ staples from Workingman’s Hardware for $ 10 and some change. SOOOOOOOOOOO much cooler than anyting I could have found new.
I kinda love this place.

I needed a car key cut, and ABC locksmith wanted to charge me a whopping $ 35. The Mission has gentrified, folks.
I came by Workingman’s Headquarters and the nice old gent cut the key for $ 4. That’s right. Four bucks. I’m sure once the hipsters start coming here in droves, prices will go up.
The shop itself is like a dusty old time capsule that looked like it flourished in the 1960s. It’s also so cluttered that it would certainly make Fred and Lamont Sanford blush. But the place has loads of character, and they seem to stock all of the hardware store essentials, just not in mass quantities like the big box chains.
If you want to support truly local mom and pops, drop in on these guys and see if they have what you need. The two guys running this joint look like the kind of guys who look like they’ve got loads of interesting stories to tell.

This is how a hardware store should look, basically like an episode of hoarders but with useful shit everywhere. The two old guys running the joint are basically your grandfather, so this place has personality for days. If your aren’t in a huge rush go check this place out, it’s the reason people fight to save the mom and pops.