Looking for gloves that will not wear out.

Tree

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Oct 2, 2001
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Well... I guess they will wear out eventually, but I have yet to buy a pair of work gloves that last more than a couple of months before I wear out holes in the fingers. I've bought everything from the cheap cloth to the best leather I can find locally and none have lasted. The best to date are Setware gloves which are great because they also have plenty ventilation on the back side (my hands sweat a lot in gloves because of the hot temperatures down here) and are very comfy.

Since this is "The Cafe" and also seems to be the "CPF members opinions on all non lighting things" I figure I'd ask.

I mostly use the gloves for pushing around road cases, lifting gear, coiling and tying cables, and handling anything I would not want my hands to touch. Sometimes I wear these gloves for hours when I am working in hot environments so good ventilation is a must. They also can't be too thick so I can tie cables and ropes. I have seen gloves that are labeled as "cut resistant" but how does that translate into wear and tear?

Instead of experimenting with $50+ gloves found on the net I figured I'd ask around. I don't mind paying a bit for them, but if I pay a high price I want to know they will last. Thanks in advance.
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Silviron

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I haven't tried them personally - they were too expensive back when I had a use for them, but you might try some kevlar gloves.

Back when I was making knives, they cost about $50.00 EACH, but a quick yahoo search turned them up for as little as $9.00 a PAIR.

I THINK that they are supposed to be pretty wear resistant.

For $9.00 it is probably worth trying if you haven't already.
 

sunspot

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Graham, NC
I have a pair of Kevlar gloves from a past job as a cable splicer. They are a twisted weave plastic that has very good ventilation. They cannot be cut. I tried and tried when testing them before I had any trust with them. As to wear resistance, they are also tough. The big however is that the loose weave will let pointy objects stab you.

(dam it, I can't use UBB code with Javascript off):-(
 

papasan

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i've had several pairs of kevlar shoe laces that have broken on me...

what i use, if i use anything (i usually prefer to use my hands and callous a bit), are the wrenchworks gloves from ironclad...they aren't the best made gloves in the world (some of the stitching is coming out) but they aren't $50 gloves either...

most of the people i've seen use some sort of neoprene and rubber mechanics gloves...
 
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**DONOTDELETE**

Guest
you might search some poLice equipment sites for frisk gloves. they are kevlar also, but also are supposed to be puncture (like from a needle) proof.
 

Luff

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Jan 20, 2001
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Oklahoma City
ditto papasan, and then some:

I'm on my second pair of Ironclads and am VERY impressed with the quality of these gloves. I can wear them 10-12 hours and be comfortable. They are not cut-proof, but highly resistant. Good ventilation. Tough. My first pair was the general purpose model and it lasted just over a year. I now use the heavyduty model and recommend it.

Because they dry out fast & retain their grip when wet, they've replaced my sailing gloves & I use them when white-water paddling. They are great for scuba diving & stand up well to coral. I've handled broken concrete, bricks and glass with them. They do let cactus spines through if you're not careful, however.
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My only gripe is, as papasan said, about the stitching ... but for me only on one fingertip. The thread just gave out after a year, but was easy enough to fix.

I couldn't get papasan's link to work (seems Ironclad's server may be down at the moment) so I searched Google and came up with the following links to a glove specialty outlet. Prices are about $8 less than I paid retail, but shipping will probably even things out.

Ironclad Heavyduty page

Ironclad full line
 

Wick

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May 8, 2002
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Tree,

Finding good gloves can be tough. I used to do your kind of work and I know you want heavy gloves when working the fly rail but something much thinner when plugging in a snake.

I ended up going the cheap route. I own a pair of Wells Lamont washable work gloves. I think they were $12 at Lowe's. I used them for two years pushing cases, pulling cable, and working the fly rail. The only thing I ever had trouble with was focusing lights as the palm was not heat resistant at all.

I did own a couple of nice gloves but I always lost them. Either I would leave them on a truck after load out and never see them again or some local voulenteer labor would end up with them. Then I bought cheap gloves and no one wanted to borrow them anymore.
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Tree

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Hey Wick, sounds like you've been there and back.
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Anyway, I used those washable gloves for a while. They were my favorite gloves before the Setwear ones. My only complaint with those is they don't breathe too good and my hands sweat like crazy in them. Not too bad if I keep them on, but if I take them off for a few minutes and then put them back on to work... YUCK!!
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I have a clip system on my belt that keeps my gloves handy so I don't loose them (I lost them all the time before this).

And let me know where you get this local volunteer labor from!!! I'll get them to work for us so I can charge double for my time.
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I'm going to have to remember who in CPF does or did this kind of work so when I do shows around the country I can get some decent help.
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Spork

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USA
I go through gloves like nothing. I've worn out 20 dollar leather gloves in under 2 weeks. Right now I have a 3 dollar pair of insulated leather gloves and they have lasted me about 3 months. its amazing the cheapest leather gloves i could find lasts the longest. I think it depends on how good they fit. if the fingers are to long it will tear holes where your fingers are. also if they get wet they wont last as long. maybe ill try some of those ironclad gloves and see how many days they last. be careful of spending a lot of money on gloves because sometimes the 3 dollar leather gloves can out last the expensive ones.
 

Tree

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It makes sense getting them wet causes deterioration I sweat and I'll wash them every so often. I read the washing instructions on the gloves, but they do seem to degrade faster after washing them.
 
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**DONOTDELETE**

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I went out and got a pair of the ironwear gloves at my local hardware store; they run on the small side -- I got the "framers" style, seems to be the same as the heavy duty but with the thumb tip and next two finger tips removed, better for dexterity -- I thought I'd take an L or XL, but the XXL fit me best...
 

papasan

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on their web site they have a 1-888 number you can call and get a dealer near you. when i bought these about 2 years ago i had to mail order them, no one had them and they were having trouble producing enough to keep up with demand. may be a different story now.
 

Tombeis

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Aug 24, 2001
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OHIO, U.S.A.
Tree:
A friend of mine is the Safety Director of General Motors Lordstown(Ohio)Plant.

He gave me a pair of leather lined with Kevlar gloves which a supplier sent him. They seem durable and they are comfortable to wear.

I will talk to him this weekend and find out the manufacture. I will post here or e-mail you.
Tom
 
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