Leatherworking is one of the best hobbies to start during this pandemic. With this said, you need to know all of the essential equipment and materials to get started. Using leather working gloves is one way to protect your hands while doing your chosen project. There are various factors that you should consider when buying the proper leather gloves for your leatherworking needs.
What are the best leather working gloves? Wells Lamont Leather Gloves, Ozero Cowhide Gloves, Carhartt Men’s Fencer Gloves, Midwest Gloves and Gear American Made Gloves, and CLC 124L Flex Grip Gloves are five of the best leather working gloves that you can use.
There are a lot of choices for leather working gloves in the market, and knowing what’s best to use is crucial. In this article, I will talk about the five best leather working gloves that you can use. I will also talk about how you can choose the best leatherworking gloves to use and things you need to consider before buying your gloves.
Wells Lamont Leather Gloves
The Wells Lamont Leather Gloves is constructed with high-quality cowhide material. It is designed with a Gunn cut, making it look not only good but also durable. Aside from leatherworking, the Wells Lamont Leather Gloves is excellent for all jobs. It has a ball and tape-style wrist closure that you can adjust the tightness to your personal preference.
With the wrist closure, you can ensure that the gloves will stay in place and not fall off while you are doing your leather project. It also has a reinforced leather palm patch that offers extra grip. The Wells Lamont Leather Gloves also have a keystone thumb design for flexibility and comfort.
The Wells Lamont Leather Gloves are available in different sizes such as Small, #1 Pack Medium, Medium, Large #1 Pack XXL, XL, and XXL. It is available in one color, which is saddle tan, and this leather is built to last. Rest assured your hands will be comfortable in whatever leatherworking project that you are working on. The cost for this glove is $9.96.
Ozero Cowhide Gloves
The Ozero Cowhide Gloves are also made from cowhide, just like the Wells Lamont Leather Gloves. It is considered to be durable and flexible. These gloves are manufactured with a thickness depth of 1.0mm to 1.2mm, which is great for protecting your hands from harsh conditions. It is flexible enough to wear for long periods, and these gloves are resistant to punctures since it’s made from cowhide.
You can ensure that you will be safe from cuts and moderate amounts of oil. Ozero Cowhide Gloves has a Gunn cut and Keystone thumb design that is excellent for leatherworking projects and other jobs. When wearing the gloves, you don’t need any lining because the material is naturally non-irritant, breathable, sweat-absorbent, and comfortable to wear.
These gloves can also be used for other heavy-duty work aside from leatherworking. Just like any other gloves, you need to make sure to measure your hand circumference before buying it. It is available in three sizes which are medium (1 Pair) and costs $12.99. It is also available in three pairs that cost $29.98.
The Large (1 Pair) costs $12.99, and the three pairs of gloves costs $29.98. Lastly, X-Large (1 Pair) costs $12.99, and three pairs cost $29.98. It is available in one color, which is the elastic wrist.
Carhartt Men’s Fencer Glove
The Carhartt Men’s Fencer Gloves are made with 100 percent suede cowhide. It is designed with a wrap-around palm and thumb patch, making it great for leatherworking projects. You can also use these gloves for other harsh working conditions. It has a double elastic cuff making it easy to put on and take off.
The gloves will remain secure while doing your work, so you don’t have to worry about them slipping off during a project. The cuff is vented so that air can get in. To wash the gloves, all you need to do is wash them by hand in warm water and detergent. Once you are done washing it, all you have to do is hang it to dry and make sure that you do not put it in the dryer.
The Carhartt Men’s Fencer Glove comes in one color, which is brown. It is waterproof and considered to be a breathable glove. It costs $24.99.
Midwest Gloves and Gear American Made Gloves
The Midwest Gloves and Gear American Made Gloves are made in the United States and from genuine American Bison. The American Bison is also known as Buffalo leather. This leather is made with high quality, durability, and smooth grain of the material. It is also made with heavy-weight leather, which is ideal for leatherworking.
It has an inset thumb for comfort and a hemmed cuff design, making it look good. This glove also offers hand movement capability and flexibility, which makes it comfortable working with various leatherworking projects. It is great for both men and women. These unlined leather gloves offer high dexterity and hand movement. Due to the hemmed cuff, it can keep different substances out.
It is available in three sizes: XL that costs $45, large that costs $44, and medium that costs $40. It is available in various types of material which are Buckskin, Elkskin, Goatskin, and Cowhide.
CLC 124L Flex Grip Gloves
The CLC 124L Flex Grip Gloves is made from synthetic leather, which is not real leather. However, it is comparable with other leather working gloves. It is designed to shrink resistant, so you can wash this in your machine as well as the dryer to keep it dry. These gloves are soft and comfortable as well as extremely durable. It is made out of stretchable spandex allowing flexibility inside the gloves.
It has an elastic cuff to keep it from slipping while doing your leatherworking project, which is also great for other physical jobs. Due to this feature, you can do any job possible without restraint. It is available in three sizes which are Medium ($12.95), Large ($13.71), and XL ($13.74).
Choosing the Best Leather Working Gloves
Now, when choosing the best leather working gloves, you need to take note of a lot of factors. Comfortability is one of the most critical factors that you need to consider, especially when you are planning to work on a big leather project. I will talk about the other factors you need to consider when buying your own leather working gloves.
The Best Type of Leather For Comfort
There are four types of leather that you should consider before picking out your gloves. The first material is cowhide which is the most common and popular type of leather for gloves. It creates a moderately priced, comfortable, and durable glove. Cowhide gloves are also abrasion-resistant, which is great for different leatherworking projects.
Pigskin is also an excellent leather material to use for gloves. It is more heat resistant than cowhide. So, you might want to choose this type of material if you are going to use heat on your leather project. The more you use pigskin gloves, the softer it becomes. It can withstand moisture without becoming stiff. Also, it can be laundered without losing shape or function.
Deerskin is soft, more comfortable, and longer wearing, making it great for leather projects that take a long time to finish. This material is also great if you are doing your leather business in yourself, in your home. Deerskin material is more flexible than cowhide and is the warmest of all the leather.
Lastly, goatskin is the most robust and most durable type of leather for gloves. It is made with natural lanolin in the skin, which makes the glove very supple. Goatskin material is waterproof and abrasion-resistant, which is excellent for tasks that need to find dexterity.
Choosing the Best Pattern
Now, the glove cut is important for the dexterity and comfort that you will while using the leather glove. There are two types of patterns that you can choose from so that you will have the comfort that you need when using your leather working gloves.
The Gunn cut pattern is a single piece, seamless back with fine seams. It sets away from the working area of the palm, and the two middle fingers are sewn separately into the palm. This pattern helps minimize bulk in the said fingers. It increases dexterity and provides better wear and greater comfort. Gunn cut minimizes stress on the glove for more extended wear and has a natural gripping action for handling different tools.
The Clute Cut has a one-piece palm with no seam at the base of fingers. It has a straight thumb, and the seams are along the inside of each finger. The gloves have a roomier fit and have an economical feel than gloves with sewn seams.
Choose Your Thumb Design
Choosing the thumb design can make a huge difference in comfort and functionality. With the right thumb design, it is great if you are going to be wearing gloves all day. Straight thumbs are designed for non-rigorous activities. It doesn’t allow natural thumb motion when you are working on your leather projects.
Straight thumb gloves are the least effective and have an economical style. However, it does require a little stitching. Next, you have the winged thumbs, which have angled construction. It allows greater flexibility and efficiency than straight thumbs. This material is great for pushing and pulling. You can find these types of thumb designs on mid-priced gloves. These types of design are great worn for extended periods of time.
Lastly, you have the keystone thumbs, which have superior movement and overall comfort. It is ideal for extreme wear in the thumb webbing area. The keystone thumbs are found in the most expensive leather working gloves due to their extensive sewing.
Cuff Style is Also Important
Now, the cuff style is also important because it plays a significant role in choosing the best gloves for your leatherworking needs. It can add warmth which helps prevent abrasion from particles falling into the glove. It also increases the safety of any leatherwork that you are doing.
Stretch-knit fabrics are usually two to three inches long that are designed to protect the wrist. It helps prevent any particles from falling into the glove so that your hands are safe and comfortable. The slip-on doesn’t have cuffs but only with wrists for an easy on and off application.
The safety cuff is about two inches long and covers the wrist for safety. It is designed with a slit at the side and enables the wearer to throw the gloves off easily if it gets caught on something. The gauntlet cuff has the safe features as the safety cuff. It is typically four inches that protect the forearm of the wearer. It also allows sleeves to be tucked into the glove.
Lastly, you have the shirred wrist, which provides a comfortable fit. It is found on gloves that usually have safety cuffs.
Choosing the Lining of the Gloves
The last factor that you have to consider is the lining of the gloves. It can add incredible warmth and can help make gloves more comfortable for long-term wear. The lining should be made with cotton and a jersey to help prevent chafing while you are working on your leather project.
Now, there are other materials that you also need to consider. Wool and pile are more durable than cotton and jersey. It is best to use for low temperatures, providing you thermal protection.
Things to Consider Before Buying Your Leather Working Gloves
Leatherworking gloves offer great protection and flexibility. Some are soft yet strong, and others are water-resistant, breathable, and stylish. Now, the ultimate working glove, you can’t go wrong with a high-quality pair of leather work gloves. If you want the utmost protection, split leather offers the most protection, and it is the most resistant to water as well as other chemicals.
On the other hand, Grain leather is softer and smoother, providing more dexterity and hand movement. Knowing what’s important when buying leather working gloves is one of the keys to finding the right fit for a glove.
Protect Your Hand for All Occasions
Leather’s role is to protect your hands while doing your leatherworking projects naturally. It is great for the most challenging jobs you can imagine. Now, you need more than the material itself because abrasions can be an issue. Looking for extra protection on the palm, thumb, and fingertips section is important.
It would be best if you found a leather working glove that offers ultra-durability. Take note that the better quality of leather, the less chance you’ll have accidents happen. You can never be too sorry when it comes to finding the right glove for you.
Durability is the Key
Durability is always important when you are looking for a leather working glove. You would need to choose genuine and quality leather. The stitching should be able to hold the glove together, which means you should look for gloves that have double stitching. These are heavy-duty gloves, which can get expensive.
Double stitching should be placed in high-stress areas such as the palm, fingertips, and thumbs.
Comfort for a Long Day’s Work
You would need to consider if you are working on long leatherworking projects or you may be running your own leather business at home. Your hands should be comfortable, meaning your gloves should be just the right fit. Aside from that, the glove must stay on all day, and this is where the elasticated cuff often helps.
When it comes to comfortability, you need to make sure that your hands can breathe when using leather working gloves. Taking care of the leather so it doesn’t wear down and become tough is also crucial in making sure your gloves are comfortable. Remember that warmer gloves are the best for working in colder climates.
Gloves for Leather Working
When it comes to leather working gloves, you should be able to move your hands all the time in each leather project that you do. Now, the thinner and more flexible the leather, the better it is. You can choose from the different leather working gloves that I have listed above. If you are working on projects other than leather, such as dangerous environments, gloves should be puncture resistant.
Finding Just the Right Size
Leatherworking gloves shouldn’t be too tight, or else you can’t do your project properly. When gloves are too loose, it can be dangerous because they can come off easily. High-quality leather working gloves come in different sizes, so you need to make sure you find the right fit for you, for both men and women.
Make sure you measure your hand first before purchasing your leather working gloves online. Check the reviews if there are any discrepancies when it comes to the size chart that’s mentioned in the product information.
Conclusion
Choosing the right leather working gloves is vital so that your hands can be comfortable while doing your projects. It’s not just comfortability but also for your safety. You should know the different types of gloves first before buying your leather working gloves and what is the best one to use for your projects. The top five leather working gloves I’ve mentioned above are perfect for your leatherworking needs. Enjoy your leatherworking projects with peace of mind!
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