Machine / Hand Tool Retailers in Hong Kong / Kowloon

I am travelling to Hong Kong on business at the end of the month and was thinking about picking up some metal working tools.

I have found a few threads dealing with buying woodworking tools in Kowloon, this one in particular, where people recommend the following Kowloon retailers:

Wang Tai Hardware Co. Ltd
G/F,486 Reclamation Street
Mong Kok, Kowloon

Wing Fung Metalware & Machine Tool Co.
421 Reclamation Street.
Mong Kok, Kowloon

However, I am interested in metalworking tools such as end mills, dividers, lathe tools etc. and I also enjoy just browsing and spending an afternoon looking for the odd bargain S/H, quality tool.

Does anyone know of shops in Kowloon that sell these types of tools?

I am well aware that the quality of some Chinese tools is pretty sus, but I also know from 1st hand experience (buying online from eBay, for example) that decent quality tools can be sourced out of Hong Kong / Kowloon.

Any recommendations would good.

A good tip that someone posted is to take pictures of the items you require so that people (non-English speakers) will know what your looking for.

Blu

I made it to Hong Kong and back and found that there heaps of small hand tool shops, mainly in Reclamation Street, between Waterloo Road and Argile Streets. These shops sell a range of tools (including power tools) and the quality ranges from cheap Chinese stuff to decent-quality Chinese tools and on to top-quality imported stuff - Japanese, Taiwanese, German and English. The prices are pretty similar in most shops and prices are fixed. All in all, compared to what we pay in Australia, there are some bargains to be had.

There are also a few shops selling quality electonics tools at the Yen Chow St end of Apliu St. Also in Apliu St, there are several street vendors selling used power tools but most of the tools looked to have had a hard life and the vendors were asking ridiculously high prices... I didn't even bother try haggling with them.

Below are examples of what I bought (in Australian dollars):

Combination Square (Much better quality than Stanley) - $14
Record 4" G clamp (knock off) - $12.50
Record 3" G clamp (knock off) - $9.40
50 pc HSS Drill Set - 1.0mm-6.0mm in 0.1mm steps (Chinese - Good Quality) - $52.00
No. 4 Centre Drills (Chinese Reasonable Quality) - $3.50
4" Precision Engineer's Square - $8.30
Bondhus 6mm 'T' Handle Allen Wrench - $5.60
Bondhus 2mm 'T' Handle Allen Wrench - $3.50
Chain-Style Vice Grips (Taiwanese) - $20.80
8" Dividers (very solid) - $16.70
3mm-16mm Reamer (Japanese) - $7.90
150mm Side Cutters (Japanese) - $11.50
Nicholson Hacksaw Blades - $1.00
Bahco Hacksaw Blades - $1.45
Auto Cenre Punch with HSS Point - $6.25
9" 1000v Screw drivers (Japanese) - $5.60

I found the shops below to be well stocked and the owners were very friendly and welcomed browsing. In particular, at Tai Tak Hardware and Hand Tools (upstairs showroom) the dude invited me to make my self at home and I spent a quite a bit of time there, even behind the counter going through the showroom cases looking for anything of interest. The guy at Wah Cheong Metal Co. was also very obliging and we spent a bit of time discussing the quality of Chinese-made tools. As per my earlier post, I know that the Chinese are making some reasonable/good quality drills and mill bits but he reckons that they are in the minority and the best quality are generally exported rather than being sold in country. The Chup Kee brothers were also very friendly and had a good range of tools.

Wah Cheong Metal Co.
341 Reclamation St
Mongkok
Precision mill bits, drills, carbide inserts & measuring equipment - Mostly imported

Chup Kee (Brothers) Tools and Hardware
329-B Reclamation St (actually in Soy St)
Mongkok
Quality handtools, airtools, hydraulic tools

Tai Tak Hardware and Hand Tools
278 Shanghai Street
Kowloon
8am-6.30pm except Sunday
Good range of Handtools and hardware (large variety of quality, small hand planes)

Wing Win Electronic Metal Tools
248 Apliu St
Sham Shui Po
Kowloon
Large range of Japanese pliers, side cutters, screwdrivers and precision measuring tools.

Kin Cheong Electrical Co.
250 Apliu St
Sham Shui Po
Kowloon
Large range of Japanese pliers and cutters