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Capital Iron


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#1 Fabled_Tales

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 10:02 AM

I was looking for kitchen specialty stores because I bake a lot and I need a couple things walmart doesn't carry, and someone suggested capital iron. I've gotten conflicting reviews about it. The guy my hub works with suggested another store but its expensive, so I'm trying to find an alternative. Is Capital Iron a good store? If its not, anyone know anywhere, where I can get special baking/cooking supplies and not pay out the big bucks?

#2 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 10:23 AM

I think even if you find it's not what you are looking for, if you have never been to Capital Iron, you have to go look at the store just to see how it all works. Don't forget to go all the way upstairs, they have furniture and a full fabric shop hidden up there too.
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#3 gumgum

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 10:30 AM

Yes Capital Iron is a fun adventure.
Do. Not. Forget. The antiques section in the basement.

#4 UDeMan

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 10:41 AM

Yes, make sure to check out every shelf. They have very rare kitchen items you can't find anywhere else. The prices may not be the lowest.

For example found a poppy seed grinder to replace my mom's old worn out one from the 60s. Could only find it online before.

#5 Kikadee

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 12:16 PM

I worked in a kitchen shop on View Street for a few years, and whenever we didn't have an item, we would send the customer to Capital Iron. Not only a cool general store, but a well-rounded kitchen supply section.

I'm not sure if you ever get out to Broadmead Village, FabledTales, but Penna & Co. is another excellent local and independently owned kitchen shop with very helpful staff. That's typically my first stop, especially for baking and cake-making supplies. They have a decent selection of things not made in China, too, for which I'm always on the lookout.

I believe that Cook's Culture--the upscale kitchen shop in the Atrium building--is owned by Muffet's son, Jed G., of Muffet & Louisa (Sidney/Market Square) fame. It's a lovely place; I've got a gift certificate I'm dying to spend.

I recommend these places because (unlike the Bay, Walmart, etc.) they offer something other than familiar brand-names. But also consider Superstore (which has some neat things design-wise) and the Home Sense section of Winners (where you can find some odd but useful items some days).

#6 weirdie

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 01:32 PM

Yes Capital Iron is a fun adventure.
Do. Not. Forget. The antiques section in the basement.


Have you been down there recently? It's a sad state of affairs compared to the stuff they had down there a few years ago.

Capital Iron is great for camping gear, hardware, bathroom stuff, pretty much everything.

#7 Langford Rat

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 01:45 PM

I think Capital Iron has an excellent (and extensive) kitchenware section. I don’t find them to be over-priced, at all. If the thought of a 100 dollar skillet makes you faint, don’t worry they’ve got some for 20 bucks as well. Cuisinox, Paderno, All-Clad, Henckels, Zwiller are all well represented there as well as a ton of lower-end and no-name stuff. It seems they always have a bunch of pieces on sale. If you want it, they’ve probably got it…there’s no store like it…no, I don’t work there.

#8 Holden West

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 01:49 PM

Capitol Iron used to have great surplus items in the basement but that's all but gone now. They had old scrap parts from ships and clothing like those ubiquitous Bundeswehr undershirts every rebellious teen wore in the 80s.

The hardware selection is pretty good as they have a lot of stuff not carried by the box stores. It's hard to walk out of there without buying at least one item.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#9 Langford Rat

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 02:03 PM

I used to love rooting around in that basement for treasures. They had mountains of army surplus for cheap cheap. We did the West Coast Trail in the early 80's and completely kitted ourselves out there...clothing, ponchos, canteens, mess-kits, sterno-stoves. Not sure exactly whose army it came from but it all had "Oriental" writng on it.

#10 seymour201

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 02:05 PM

We know people that live in Winnipeg and every time they come out to visit family they make a point of going to Capital Iron. I was in there last week, and found the staff super helpful even when I was just browsing around to kill time. Also found that they have a ton of kitchen stuff. Definitely worth checking out.

#11 ZGsta

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 02:48 PM

Yeah, Capitol Iron is great. Not at all overpriced in terms of the kitchen stuff I've bought there. They have a good variety.

#12 bluefox

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 07:49 PM

Does anyone know if Capital Iron carries non-enamelled cast-iron pots? I've been looking for ages and can't find anything other than the usual suspects - "Dutch ovens", and anything else is either enamelled or too shallow to cook anything in.
(Not the owner of, nor am I associated with, the Blue Fox Café, in any way.)

#13 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 08:07 PM

The hardware selection is pretty good as they have a lot of stuff not carried by the box stores. It's hard to walk out of there without buying at least one item.


They also have nails, bolts, washers and nuts in galvanized, brass and stainless, as well as fine-thread - all that you can purchase by the unit. Three bolts, three nuts and two washers? No problem.

They also have split-pins and springs, and rubber grommets, O-rings, all kinds of stuff you can buy one at a time.

You can't get this stuff at Home Depot.
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#14 Langford Rat

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 08:31 PM

I saw some (old school) cast iron stuff at Capital a few weeks ago. I'm pretty sure there were some fairly deep straight-sided soup pots but nothing with a single handle like a sauce pan. Home Hardware used to carry them and I might have seen them at Princess Auto as well (with their camping stuff).

#15 Bingo

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 08:52 PM

You can still get the old time perk coffee pots that are great for around the campfire.

A few years ago I bought one of those old time electric toasters with the sides that flipped down and in the process the toast was turned over so you could do the other side of the bread. Didn't everyone have one of these?

#16 Sparky

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 09:22 PM

They also have nails, bolts, washers and nuts in galvanized, brass and stainless, as well as fine-thread - all that you can purchase by the unit. Three bolts, three nuts and two washers? No problem.

They also have split-pins and springs, and rubber grommets, O-rings, all kinds of stuff you can buy one at a time.

You can't get this stuff at Home Depot.


I second that thought VHF, when you own boats and other equipment.....their stainless, brass, and iron nuts and bolts selection is second to none.

#17 Bingo

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Posted 13 December 2012 - 09:39 PM

I second that thought VHF, when you own boats and other equipment.....their stainless, brass, and iron nuts and bolts selection is second to none.


The only thing is all that olde stuff in the basement that used to be surplus from the ships that were being scrapped is long gone, and is now replaced with stainless steel barbeques.

#18 Matt R.

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Posted 14 December 2012 - 01:39 AM

We had a commercial account there in my last job, needless to say we used Capital Iron to fill any variety of needs - hardware, kitchen ware, craft supplies for special events, serving platters, hard to find gadgets, smokers and chips, just everything. If you needed something, Capital Iron probably had it. Always had good service there too. One time I bought a new Bradley smoker and the clerk upstairs drove it (and me) to work; I think he was bored.

From a purchasing standpoint, it's not over-priced.

Also, they buy lots of goods by the container load, so you might find something you love and when you go to buy it again, they don't have it and may never again. The flip side is there's always something new coming in the door.

I bought a sausage stuffer at Princess Auto and was just blown away by that store. What a crazy place. Also, the best place to buy a manual 20# sausage stuffer.

Matt.

#19 Holden West

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Posted 14 December 2012 - 07:50 AM

I bought a sausage stuffer at Princess Auto and was just blown away by that store. What a crazy place. Also, the best place to buy a manual 20# sausage stuffer.

Matt.


At an auto supply store? Or is "sausage stuffer" a euphemism for something else?
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#20 Langford Rat

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Posted 14 December 2012 - 08:15 AM

I can't help but think that misnomer must have a negative impact on their business. Princess Auto seems to carry everything except. It's sort of like a Crappy Tire without the car parts and accessories. I've never seen any Princesses in there either..

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