Sharks and Hammers

A quick snapshot to preface my review:
Merchandise: 5 stars
Service: 2 stars
It pains me to give a mediocre review to a small, local artist-​supporting shop, but alas it seems like the fair thing to do. I visited Sharks + Hammers to buy one of those East Vancouver street name t-​shirts for my husband, who recently moved to Northern California to accept his dream job. He loves Vancouver and misses it greatly, so I thought I’d send him a care package with a few locally-​made goods to remind him of his second home.
When I stopped by the shop (a gorgeous, exposed-​brick locale that is so typical to Gastown) I was the only person in the store, but as another reviewer mentioned, I didn’t receive a lick of service. The gal that was working seemed interested only in her laptop, and I almost felt that I had to apologize to her when I had to command her attention for a few moments to pay. The only reason I say the service is 2 stars as opposed to 1 star is that she wasn’t actually rude –just indifferent. I honestly hope that it was simply an off day, but given Jim M’s comments I can’t be so sure.
The whole affair boggles my mind, to be honest. Rent is expensive. Gastown rent is outrageous. How can they afford to give no customer service? Are their online sales so robust that they can let customer service slide? The truth of the matter is that I could have been convinced to spend a lot more money had I only felt welcome. I hope the owner reads this and passes on the feedback, because I would love to love this store. Supporting local artists and locally-​made merchandise makes me feel warm and fuzzy, but not when that warmth and fuzziness is stifled by apathy.

Nice shop, unique items. Bummer: the girl working the store when we visited did an amazing job of ignoring us and answering our questions with the shortest possible answers while avoiding eye contact. We bought a whole bunch of great stuff here but no thanks to the sh! tty staff.

Edit: The store has since moved to 54 Alexander Street
Sharks & Hammers is primarily a t shirt shop stocking a few big name streetwear brands and their own line of shirts. Some of which are unique East Vancouver/​Lower Mainland-​centric graphic tees that reference long gone but not forgotten East Vancouver establishments such as Juicy Fried Chicken & Save On Meats. (I hope an Only Seafoods is in the works). If that doesn’t float your boat, how about some pop culture themed tees referencing The ODB, Biggie, James Brown, or Tony Danza?
Also, check out their massive collection of classic rap cassette tapes on display.

If you live (or grew up living) on the eastside of Quebec St and are proud of it, you will love Sharks + Hammers. After the closure of Sweatshop on Hastings (the supplier of my beloved ‘I (love) East Van’ shirt), I thought all hope was lost. Let your East Van pride fly high and come here for a ‘welcome to east van’ shirt, ‘Save-​On Meats — Never Forget’ tee or a ‘I went to eastvan and all I got was mugged’ mug.
Beyond the store brand touting its community roots in East Van, they have some of the most original and freshest graphic tees — many with incredibly clever hip-​hop references. If I started a boutique/​brand, it would be similar to Sharks + Hammers.
The tiny shop is on the same block as Goodfoot and is covered by window bars after some a string of bulgaries (‘Welcome to East Van’, indeed). They also carries brands like Mishka and some other small, dope labels.
Not to be missed if you love fresh t-​shirts, especially from a small, local label.