Is Branded Skateboard Hardware Better?
I started working on bringing my old 9” board (from the early 90s) back into working condition. Back in the day, I didn’t know anything about decks, trucks, bearings, etc. I just bought a third-hand board and beat the hell out of it. It’s not only that I didn’t care about technical details, but I also didn’t have access. No neighborhood skate shops, no mail order, no internet. So no options.
This board’s hardware is beat. Motley and rusted, a mix of Allen head “real” hardware and hardware store hardware (flat-head and Phillips), of 1” and 1 1/4” lengths. Going on-line, looking to replace this, I found that hardware typically costs around $1.99 (but then there’s shipping) or around $4 (with free Amazon Prime shipping). Seems like a lot.
So I went to Home Depot to do some research. I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted, but found 10/32 flat flat-head screws with nuts for $0.98 for five. To outfit one board would cost me $1.96 (plus tax, and with two nuts+screws left). That makes more sense. So is there any difference besides getting a better head (e.g., Allen or Phillips)?
I came across a thread on Silverfish Longboarding debating whether store hardware will strip or snap or that it’s just the same as the branded (as long as you look for fine threading and nylon locking nuts, which I couldn’t find). Seems to make some sense. But it seems to me that enough people can vouch for it being “good enough,” that it might be worth the expense and wait for shipping.
As for me, since all of my riding is cruising/commuting, I’m going to be happy with store hardware. And if it breaks, it’ll cost me 20 cents to replace.
