The unassuming entrance of what used to be a row of fancy mansions
In 1881, upon the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Vice President Chester Alan Arthur was sworn in in the front parlor of his home located at 123 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. The building, located between 28th and 29th streets is now home to Kalustyan’s, possibly the finest purveyor of spices and condiments in the United States.
I mention this bit of trivia because this past week I needed some bay leaves and therefore headed to Kalustyan’s. I live nearby and It’s my go-to spice store. I feel affinity with Kalustyan’s because - much like TFWW - the shop’s customer base is the hard core enthusiast, both amateur and professional. And in order to run a business like theirs or ours, you need a certain passion for the work.
And it doesn’t easily scale up.
Kalustyan’s was a force in New York culinary circles long before they started selling on-line. For decades the store was known as a very reliable source for all sorts of spices, herbs, condiments, and flavor ingredients from all over the world. I have no idea how many thousands of items they sell. But seriously, How many different types of bay leaves are too many? (See photo.) Their assortment of types of bitters for drinks is astonishing (see photo). The subtle differences between types of pepper are largely lost on a duffer cook like me. But when I needed some Panch Phoran for a Bengali style curry, Kalustyan’s had many package sizes of this spice blend.
So I definitely recommend a visit to their shop if you’re in NYC and to the Kalustyan’s website, if you’re not. But my larger topic is why independent stores like Kalusyan’s are so important to American culture.
At TFWW, our product mix reflects our thoughts about what a good store should offer. As a merchant, we sell products we like; as a manufacturer, we try to produce tools that we think should exist. This isn’t always an easy road. Every day we get calls wondering when we’ll be getting a certain Ashley Iles carving tool back in stock. We sell them not only because they are fantastic tools, but because you aren’t going to get that No 34 bent back spoon gouge so readily from another maker and you really need it for your carving.. We reintroduced real oval-handled mortise chisels into the market because we like them. Holdfasts came about because I used them as a kid and the cast ones sucked. Many of our products start out as a “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had…” thought. I have a touch of what my wife considers delusional optimism (a well known state of mind among people who start businesses). Certainly if I fully understood how challenging the treadle lathe would be to develop I might have talked myself out of it, which at the moment I think would be a big shame. We keep certain low volume products around (I’m talking about you Spoon Bits) because the few people who need them, need them. And this is what independent companies are able to do.
The owners of Zabars, the quintessential Upper West Side food shop, turned down offers to open multiple stores because they didn’t think they could maintain quality. Balducci’s, a legendary gourmet store, tanked as soon as the Balducci family sold to investors who figured they could easily replicate the Balducci magic. It turns out that a lot of their products - and ours - don’t scale up. Relatively speaking, there isn’t a lot of either demand or supply.
In the tool world, most of the traditional tool businesses are privately owned family businesses. Their dedication to bring quality tools to the market and avoid the race to the bottom is tested every day. Do you want a great wheel gauge that people love? You get a Tite-Mark from us or another retailer. The reason it marks precisely without play is because it is made by Kevin Drake to his standards of what a great wheel gauge should be. Or you can do what many people do, which is buy a clone at a fraction of the price (and shame on any woodworking magazine that features knockoffs of the Tite-Mark). Unfortunately for these shoppers, these gauges don’t work as well as the Tite-Mark, which is discouraging, and makes it harder for users, especially for beginners, to accomplish what they think they should be able to do.
I love supporting my local vendors. Not only is the shopping experience educational and fun, it’s deeply satisfying to know that should I need any other spice, not matter how obscure, someone at Kalusyan’s will tell me, as if I were in a big box supermarket buying Twinkies, “Yeah, aisle three, near the window, the second shelf from the floor. “ And there it will be.
The store is actually three storefronts and a second floor - all crammed with stuff The endless permutations of variety and package size goes on forever
8 different types of Bay Leaves
The chili department is overwhelming And goes on forever Section one of drink bitters and mixers Section two of drink bitters and mixers
No idea what this stuff is for Meyer lemons and desserts
shopping there not only makes you a better cook, it makes you a better human.
Great post!
01/15/2025 Randy Simonds
I seek out locally owned small businesses to work with whenever possible. If I can't find a local one, I look online for one elsewhere. Same with restaurants - I'm beginning to avoid chains and look for those single locations run by the chef. I'm tired of corporate enrichment we take so much for granted. Neither the Waltons nor Jeff Bazos needs another dime from me to live like kings for generations to come. The Waltons especially have eroded our rural landscape of sole proprietors and it's begun to make me sick. Sadly, I think it's going to get way worse than better, but I'll keep fighting the good fight!
01/15/2025 Willy from Freeville
I agree and will start ordering from Kalustyan’s online, just as I do for Tools for Working Wood. Thanks!
01/15/2025 Scott Carro
I've visited the TFWW store in the past, but I was curious if you have any plans to open more of a retail type storefront in a more accessible location?
Scott,
Thanks for coming by. But we are 2 1/2 blocks from the subway. 1/2 block from the BQE, with plenty of parking in from of the store. I think that's pretty accessible.
01/15/2025 Bruce Mack
Many years ago we lived in Manhattan. After we moved to Pennsylvania, I began to teach myself woodworking after a fashion. I remained besotted by New York City and often returned to visit. After another move to Minneapolis, I visited your Manhattan store and bought a Starrett 4" double square from you in the early 2000s. I remember you writing my name and address, with a P.O. "Loretto, MN" After two attempts you said, "I'm having trouble with that". I laughed and said, "I am too." I treasure that memory of an exile. Nothing replaces personal contact. Thanks, Joel.
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shopping there not only makes you a better cook, it makes you a better human.
Great post!
Thanks for coming by. But we are 2 1/2 blocks from the subway. 1/2 block from the BQE, with plenty of parking in from of the store. I think that's pretty accessible.