The A - Z Of How To Chose The Best Winter Gloves

The Scoop On Winter Gloves

Selecting winter gloves or mittens is a task that will vary, depending on the severity of cold weather within the area, the types of tasks that must be performed while wearing the gloves, and the personal taste of the individual who will wear the gloves. If you are wondering how to choose the best winter gloves for your situation, here are some tips that will help you find exactly what you need.

There are few basic requirements that will apply in all situations. The most obvious is the size of the winter glove itself. It is essential that the gloves have a proper fit, one that is snug but no so tight that they limit the range of motion for the fingers or wrist. Gloves that do not allow the wearer to perform necessary tasks may keep the hands warm and toasty, but they will also be a source of frustration. As a result, the gloves may spend more time at home than out traveling with the owner.

The choice of material for the shell and the lining is also very important. Depending on the type of winter weather common to your area, different materials will be more appropriate than others. Locations with generally humid winter conditions are likely to require winter gloves that are made with a waterproof shell. This makes them much more practical while shoveling snow or cleaning a frosty windshield. In areas where the winter weather is cold but dry, the focus should be on the type of insulation found in the lining of the gloves. In both situations, the goal is to keep the hands warm and comfortable regardless of the prevailing weather conditions.

One other practical consideration is the amount of coverage offered by the gloves. Some are tailored to barely cover the wrist, while others progress a couple more inches. An advantage to the longer winter gloves is the elongated wrist section will fit snugly under the cuff of a jacket. This is especially important in climates where cold weather is often accompanied by icy winds that would cause discomfort to even a small amount of exposed skin.

Style is also an important factor. A set of winter gloves that are ideal for playing in the snow may not be the best choice when going to work or out on a date or other social engagement. This means that you may want to keep more than one pair of gloves on hand. For general use, gloves that are in fun colors and reflect your personality may be a good option. At the same time, a nice pair of fleece or fur lined leather gloves to wear to work or when dressing up for an evening out would be a better option.

Choosing the right winter gloves involve employing a mixture of practicality, function, and style. By addressing each of these three basic elements, you have a good chance of finding just the right gloves for your needs.

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Best Work Gloves In 5 Easy Steps Tips You Will Read This Year

Breaking the Code: How to Choose a Leather Work Glove in Five Easy Steps

Grain or split leather? Clute or Gunn cut? Safety or gauntlet cuff? Lined or unlined?

The wide variety of choices in leather work gloves means that there is almost always “the perfect” one for any given application – finding that glove, however, may not always seem so easy. By understanding the differences between available features, you can narrow the playing field and make an educated decision!

Step 1: Types of Leather

Leather is made from the tanned hides of various animals. Leather quality varies because it is a natural product. The most common types of leather used for work gloves are shown below:

• Cow  : The most common and popular type of leather used for gloves. Creates a moderately priced, comfortable, durable glove with excellent abrasion resistance. It is warmer than pig or goatskin, and more heat resistant.
• Pig : Offers the greatest breathability due to the porous texture of the hide. Becomes softer with use and withstands moisture without becoming stiff. Can be laundered without losing its shape or function.
• Deer  : Soft, more comfortable, longer wearing and more flexible than cowhide. Sometimes called “buckskin.” It is the warmest of leathers.
• Goat : The strongest and most durable type of leather. The natural lanolin in the skin makes the glove very supple, waterproof and abrasion resistant. Excellent for tasks involving fine dexterity.

Full or Top Grain Leather comes from the external side of the hide and is typically smooth, although it can be lightly sanded or processed after tanning to feel like suede or velvet. It is the most durable type of leather and offers good dexterity.

• Leather cut from the sides and shoulder of the animal offers the greatest durability.
• Belly and neck cuts are less durable, and are often used for “economy grade” gloves and trims.

Split leather or suede comes from the underside of the hide, has no natural grain, and is not as strong as grain leather. The area from which the glove is cut determines durability and dexterity.

• Belly split leather is the most economical, but it is not consistent in texture or appearance. It is the least durable.
• Shoulder split leather is economical, but less durable than side split leather because the additional movement in the shoulder area creates less dense fibers and more visible differences in texture.
• Side split comes from the rib area. It is very durable and consistent with dense fibers. Of split leathers, this is the best quality.

For greatest longevity, choose grain leather gloves. For temporary workers or sporadic, incidental jobs, split leathers will likely “do the job” and offer a greater cost savings.

Step Two: Patterns

The way a glove is cut helps determine the dexterity and comfort that the glove will afford.

• Gunn Cut pattern features a single-piece, seamless back with fine seams set away from the working area of the palm. The two middle fingers are sewn separately into the palm to help minimize bulk in those fingers, increasing dexterity. This design provides better wear and greater comfort. The design also minimizes stress on the glove for longer wear, and provides natural gripping action for handling tools.
• Clute Cut pattern has a one-piece palm with no seam at the base of the fingers and a straight thumb. Seams are along the inside of each finger. The design gives the glove a roomier fit, and makes it more economical than gloves requiring more sewn seams.

Workers who are handling large boxes or bales of product don’t typically need the tactile sensitivity that a contractor hammering finishing nails or a worker sorting small pieces does.

Step Three: Thumb Design

Sometimes, a seemingly small detail like thumb design can make a big difference in the comfort or functionality of a glove that is worn all day.

• Straight thumbs are designed for non-rigorous activities. They are the least effective because they do not allow for natural thumb motion. Because they require little stitching, they are the most economical style.
• Wing thumbs have an angled construction that allows for greater flexibility and efficiency than straight thumbs. They are good for pushing and pulling applications and when gloves are worn for greater periods of time. Wing thumbs are often found on mid-priced gloves.
• Keystone thumbs offer superior movement and overall comfort. They are ideal for applications where there is extreme wear in the thumb webbing area, such as pulling wires or handling small pipes. Because they require the most sewing, they are the most expensive thumb option.

Step Four: Cuffs

Application plays a large role in choosing a cuff design. Cuffs can add warmth, help prevent abrasion from particles falling into the glove, increase safety by doffing when caught in a machine, or allowing for sleeves to be tucked.

Step Five: Linings

Although they are traditionally added for warmth, linings can also help make gloves more comfortable for long-term wear.

• Cotton and jersey linings help prevent chaffing.
• Wool and pile linings hold up longer and are warmer than cotton or jersey linings.
• Thinsulate® and similar “thermal” linings are available in several different weights to help insulate hands against cold temperatures.

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Apply These 8 Secret Techniques To Improve Just What Happens To That Deerskin?

Minnesota deer hunters — well, the successful ones — are grass-roots suppliers to a multibillion-dollar, global industry.

Most never think about it, but long after the last venison steak from the 2014 season has been taken off the grill, the animal’s hide lives on in the vast fur- and leather-apparel producer’s network. Buyers, traders, sellers, salters, shippers, tanners, trimmers, clothing and accessory manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers all depend on the flow of deerskins. That flow begins with the pull of a trigger or the release of an arrow.

North Star Fur and Trading of Marine on St. Croix is part of the fur-and-leather industry. “Deer hides are the bread and butter of our company,” said Jon-Paul Rosenwald who, with his father, Jim, operate the fur trading company. “Most years, we will grade, buy and sell 30,000 to 40,000 whitetail deer hides.”

Although North Star also buys many other fur-bearing animal pelts, its leading commodity is deerskins by far. “The mink, raccoon, beaver and coyote market swings like the stock market, up wildly one year and down the next,” Rosenwald said. “Because of the natural beauty, durability and softness of deerskin, that market is always good.”

Rosenwald and his father, who founded the company in 1974, buy deerskins directly from hunters, venison processors or organizations like Hides for Habitat that act as collection points.

Hides for Habitat, a program of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, tallied more than 21,000 hides in 2013.

That added nearly $200,000 to its whitetail habitat improvement projects. North Star typically pays $5 for a yearling and up to $15 for a large, unblemished hide.

“Deerskins from the northern tier of states are highly prized in the industry because they are thicker and heavier,” Rosenwald said. “Michigan deer hides top Minnesota’s because they have fewer ticks and barbed-wire fences to damage the skins.”

From North Star’s fur-grading barn, located north of Stillwater, the hides are sent during the season to a nearby company in Wisconsin for salting. Salt prevents spoilage during the long trip ahead. As many as 4,000 hides are packed into 40-foot-long metal shipping containers and sent by rail to Seattle. From there they are loaded onto ships destined for China.

The wholesale price paid for each hide by the Chinese processors is a trade secret. But Rosenwald said his is a small-margin business that depends on large volumes.

“Our partner in China is capable of tanning huge numbers of deerskins,” he added. He said that the Environmental Protection Agency has shut down all the big U.S. tanneries owing to the caustic chemicals used in the process.

After tanning, the hides are graded and trimmed. Then the value of Minnesota and other northern deer comes into play. Because of their thickness, the hides can be split or peeled into two or more layers. The inside layer yields suede; the outer layers full-grain leather. Italian makers of high-end shoes, handbags and jackets are willing buyers of this soft Minnesota-made leather. A typical northern hide will produce eight square feet of leather, worth from $25 to as much as $100 from clothing and accessory manufacturers.

Some of the deerskin North Star Fur ships to China comes back to the Rosenwalds as 3M Thinsulate-lined gloves. The same Chinese company that tans the Minnesota hides produces the gloves. In a typical year, North Star will sell 200,000 pair of gloves directly to consumers, other wholesalers, or retailers like Joe’s Sporting Goods in St. Paul.

“Our business is based on a network of relationships my father has developed over 40 years,” said Rosenwald. “From the deer hunter to the person wearing the gloves and everyone in between in the fur-and-leather industry, it is a community built on trust.”

Minnesota hunters can take pride that their deer-hunting skills support a global industry employing thousands of people, including one busy export-import company along the St. Croix River.

All this and warm gloves, too.

Bill Klein is an avid hunter, angler and student of nature. He lives in May Township.

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