insulated leather work gloves wear out too quickly!

Hi!

Does anyone have any proven or unproven, EASY, ways to make their insulated leather work gloves last longer. For the past several years it seems like I go through about 3 pairs each winter. The fingers and palms wear all the way through until the insulation starts wearing away too and then my fingers start getting cold really quickly. This seems very wasteful and they usually cost around $15 a pair.

I don't feel like spending my limited time mending or doing intricate sewing so I'm trying to come up with a quick way to get at least a little more mileage out of my gloves. Maybe tape could work but I don't want sticky stuff on everything I pick up or wherever they get thrown off at. I'm fairly certain that other permies have dealt with this same little problem so I'm hoping there are some good suggestions out there!

-Scott Haase

UN insulated leather gloves one size too big and wool liners. You can get better thicker leather in unlined work gloves, plus the removable liner dries quicker.

It has to get really cold for me to do that. Usually I wear my normal uninsulated gloves and wristies made from old wool socks. If I keep my wrists warm, I can usually keep my fingers warm.

Thanks!

I'll try that but I have really big hands so the outer leather gloves might be hard to find. The wrist warmer thing could help too but probably not in some of the weather we've been having here lately, like -15 F!

S Haze wrote:Hi!

Does anyone have any proven or unproven, EASY, ways to make their insulated leather work gloves last longer. For the past several years it seems like I go through about 3 pairs each winter. The fingers and palms wear all the way through until the insulation starts wearing away too and then my fingers start getting cold really quickly. This seems very wasteful and they usually cost around $15 a pair.

I don't feel like spending my limited time mending or doing intricate sewing so I'm trying to come up with a quick way to get at least a little more mileage out of my gloves. Maybe tape could work but I don't want sticky stuff on everything I pick up or wherever they get thrown off at. I'm fairly certain that other permies have dealt with this same little problem so I'm hoping there are some good suggestions out there!

-Scott Haase

I have actually heard of some people scotch guarding their gloves...not sure if it would work but it couldn't hurt! Spraying them with hairspray on the outside of the gloves will help them be tougher on the outside. You may need to do this a few times (letting them dry in between each repetition), the hair spray might make them a little stiff so you'll need to bend them up a little bit, but where the edges are frayed is where you especially need the hairspray.

I like to use the outer leather glove + wool liner method during winter. Sometimes I use two liners - a very thin merino wool liner + a thicker knit style wool liner. This makes the gloves more modular and if the leather wears out then you only need to replace the outer layer and the liner (insulation) can often be reused for many seasons.

Finding a decent leather glove can be tricky. I've gone through dozens over the past years. I used to buy those $20 Kinco gloves that you find at Menards or Tractor Supply etc. They are good gloves and fit well but I usually wear them out after a month or two. Recently I've begun purchasing Made in USA leather gloves from Midwest Gloves and Gear. They offer plain leather gloves and pile lined insulated leather gloves. I tried their basic cowhide gloves and got about 6 months use out of them before a small hole developed in the finger. Right now I'm using their bison leather gloves and they are very durable. I've also ordered the leather choppers mitt which I'll wear with my wool knit liners. These gloves are very expensive $25-$40 on Amazon but I feel that the quality is top notch.

Additionally, to extend the life of your gloves you should oil them right away before first use. My dad had me oil my gloves with motor oil but I don't like that approach much. Nowadays I keep a tub of mink oil handy and thoroughly oil all gloves and leather products before first use. This extends the life of your gloves by decreasing the effects of friction and will also provide some water resistance.

I also use the liner method. I buy gloves on sale or at yard sales. Nice trim ones that allow greater dexterity, are reserved for machine operations. Thicker and looser ones are saved for winter lining.

I throw many naily boards and other prickly stuff from up high. Old gloves with holes in them are prone to catching on the material. People have been yanked off the roof or back of the truck when a glove is caught. Quality gloves that fit, are much safer.

If you are living in a climate where you should be oiling your boots, you should be oiling your gloves! Well oiled leather has most of the mini pores in the leather coated
with ''Snow proof'', ''mink oil'', ''petroleum jelly'' true animal oils should probably be avoided as too tempting to all kinds of rodents. As the leather remains supple the
pores stay small, dry dirty gloves get stiff and tear between adjacent pore spaces and then that pair is nearly done !

Try this as an experiment ! Grab ether a plastic glove like for food service workers, or better a Nitrile Examination glove our a long sleeve vets exam glove and place it
on one hand ONLY, and then a regular pair of gloves, You are reducing direct contact with your soon to be wet glove and trapping a little warm air next to your
skin. O. K., some of you have now done this as a thought experiment, but try it for real, at least an hour ! You will be converted !

This system works best in two scenarios, warmly dressed, lots of standing around, little or no reason to take off your gloves ! OR More strenuous work that requires
you to take off an outer layer and your gloves both to keep from soaking in your own sweat and then there is the need to do fine work without gloves on your hand !

Bigger gloves with lite inserts that can be changed several times a day will help keep to outer leather glove at least semi dry, and that will help longevity !

I am always in favor of mittens over gloves every day, and they are a standard part of my kit, with the string going from mitten to mitten through my coat at 10ºF

My wrist covering cuffs come with a thumb loop to keep them snugged up, When wearing an outside coat, I find that I am in no danger of doing damage to my sleeves
but I may loosen the thumb loop on my dominate hand while reaching !

We all carry the meme of the kid who stuck his tongue on the flag pole around in our head, it is possible to do that trick to your damp hands in cold weather !this is a
good place for those cheap lite cotton clean room inspection gloves.

You should always have a pair right next to the replacement headlight bulb in your car! Installing one of those bulbs after you have left sweat and skin oils is a good
way to get that bulb to last for minutes instead of years !