Lester's Hardware Company and Rental Center is a fantastic hardware store and a hidden gem located in downtown Kinston, NC. It is described as the last real hardware store, a personal tool store, and a cross between a farmer’s paradise and a Southern superhero supply shop. The store is stocked like Noah’s Ark with a wide variety of items; if they have it, they have loads of it, including parts the big box stores don't carry. They have most of anything you might need, from pole beans and paint to tools and pesticides. The staff provides great service and is attentive, knowledgeable, quick to help, and sweet. They are also incredibly helpful, with several people noted for their deep product knowledge. For contractors and do-it-yourselfers, the store offers a wide variety of tool rentals at affordable prices, with a great experience and better prices than other area places. The process of renting could be made more clear, but overall the experience is excellent. Customers highly recommend trying this local place first, praising it as the most helpful hardware store in the area and a shrine of Southern sanity where you leave with what you need and a heart full of happiness.
This is a fantastic hardware store. I called dozens of places trying to find the key blanks for a 1980s GM car, and no one had them, but this store had loads of these keys, plus many others. Great service too!
May 2025
Ask ladies at counter and she knew exactly where my item was.
May 2025
Love the staff, local business that saves you from going across town.. Curtis is a legend..
