In the eighteen years I have lived here in Barcelona I have spent 1000's€ in Servei Estació: it's…read moreoverpriced, but it has everything; I've enjoyed buying my DIY stuff there. Today I took back a simple spanner that was about 3mm too small for the purpose I had purchased it for; I had a purchase receipt so I went to return it to change for a larger spanner. The 'reception' area on the left at entry point were very polite, told me to take it back to Planta 5 where I could change it. Different story when I got there; I have never been treated with such arrogance and deference: because I'd cut off the plastic tag (to use it for the intended purpose, note), I was given a very arrogant brush-off. Once bitten twice shy; I'll never shop there again: my advice is to buy online where it's cheaper and you don't get insulted and treated like sh*t!

Multi level (7 floors? 8?) part ferreteria, part art supply, part bizarre though with a higher…read morequality product and price point. Kind of like an Ace Hardware and a Target had a baby but nixed clothing and food. They make keys, they have paint, they have seasonal items, and it is well staffed and centrally located. You will not find everything here, and that's ok. I am known to make my way to each level via escalator then elevator to the basement where there's all the plumbing and outdoor goodness.

Fantastic little knife shop that was recommended to me by a friend. The gentleman who helped me…read morespoke only a little English, but with a lot of smiles and some confused looks (and frequent referencing to my phrasebook) we found the perfect knife for me that was both exceptionally well-made and lovely. There's probably over a thousand knives in the place, along with all sorts of other bits and bobbles that are "blade" related, including straight razors, kitchen tools, and hunting gear. Note to Americans: You can choose to pay either in Euros or USD via credit card (only Euros if you're paying cash), but I found my bank gives me a better rate in Euros.