Winter gloves and leather treatment

[sprucebunny]

A while ago we talked about gloves in general.
I was wondering what kind of gloves everyone used in the cold --- running a chainsaw or other heavey wear applications ?
Got a real nice pair that are insulated and have deerskin palms.Deerskin doesn't seem very tough to me but these fit good. I think they are made in Vermont.
I'm pretty sick of buying a new pair of cheaper ones every week.
What should I put on the leather to make it more water resistant ? I've used 'bear grease' in the past.Don't want them to get too slippery  ;)

[Murf]

Go to any place that sells horse stuff, they will have several types and brands of leather protectants designed for horse tack.

Usually they are a mixture of oils, lanolin and beeswax, it basically works by soaking into the leather to keep it from absorbing water and thereby keeping it soft and pliable.

If you put it on when the gloves are brand new, and let it soak in a little (overnight?) before you use them it is best. Then depending on conditions and use you need to re-apply it every so often.

We use this same stuff on the harnesses for the horses, if it works for that, it will certainly work on your gloves.

It will not, if used correctly, make the gloves slippery or greasy at all.

[beenthere]

I find that gloves depends on the cold tolerance of the wearer, as well as how dry the glove can be kept in the cold.  
No great answer from here. I often get by with the brown cotton 'jersey' gloves, and keep extra dry pairs to slip into. If I am working in the cold, my hands don't get cold if the cotton gloves don't get wet.
If tractor driving, then the thicker, heavier 'farmers' cotton gloves work good, like the ones with two thumbs, popular on the farm when doing farm chores. Wear the backs out at the same rate as the palms.
If just walking the woods, then mittens seem to work best for me and I use wool liners in leather shells.
If skiing x-country, then I put poly or silk glove liners inside wool gloves, or just use the wool gloves, to take up the sweat and work well in the wet snow.
When splitting firewood, heavier leather gloves without much insulation works good for me. Again, if wet snow, then one will get wet gloves, and the insulating quality is lost. Having dry pairs available work the best for me, and it takes a variety of gloves/mittens to cover the territory of my needs.
For the leather, I use saddle soap or a spray on water repellant, mink oil, or whatever is handy to rub into the leather. I find the deer skin gloves hold up pretty well, compared to some of the 'cheaper' leather that seems to come in 'leather' gloves now-days.

[junkyard]

beenthere
Please tell me where to get the two thumbs style glove. sounds good

[isawlogs]

 I need to know where to get the two thumb gloves also .... Seems to me that I keep loosing the right hand all the time  :

[Murf]

2 thumb mittens ........  :

Well, when your sittin' in front of da' fireplace ya' pick up two needles, a ball of wool and start clickin.......

When ya' gets to the point where ya' start droppin' stiches ta' make a thumb, ya' just does it twice......

Isn't that how everybody else does it ? ........ :-/

Everybody else does knit ....... right?  :-[

[beenthere]

I saw them (two-thumb gloves) last in a farmers store. I'll just  zero in on that store again and report back with more specific information.  

Murf has the idea.

[Brucer]

A couple of years ago the local hardware store had some "waterproof" gloves. They look like your typical mid-quality work glove -- leather palms, heavy canvas backs & wrist with a leather strip across the knuckles; and a heavy lining made from acrylic "fur". I didn't believe the waterproof for a minute but they looked like a good warm workglove for winter so I bought a pair. To my surprise, they really are waterproof. There's some kind of thin plastic barrier between the outer glove and the liner. It keeps the water out, even when the outers are sopping wet, but seems to breathe so the liner doesn't get soaked from sweaty hands. I can hear the plastic barrier crackle when I flex my fingers, which is about the only clue that they really are different. Dry gloves make all the difference in winter.

Of course I never thought to keep the label, so I don't have a brand name. They weren't in the store this year, but the owner has promised to track them down for me -- just as soon as he's finished moving into his new building.

[SwampDonkey]

I like the lined leather gloves from the local saw shop, although if your handling wood they last about a week.  :'( I don't like gloves with too much bulk as my hands get too warm and sweat, which can get colder later in the day. Its a good idea to carry a spare in that case I suppose. If its not a real cold winter day I don't need insulated gloves as the steam rolls off my hands like a fresh.....well never mind.

If I'm not sawing and I'm carrying things all day like a PDA and a survey pole I like wool gloves with leather palms and thinsulate lining. I got mine from Cabella's. Also they have (or had) military style gloves which were all leather with thinsulate lining. My fingers never get cold as long as I'm moving. A week ago I was out on a woodlot and on the way in I met a couple fellas all dressed for the Antarctic and I only had a set of woolins and a fleece pullover on all day , but i was climbing up and down a big hill all day generating alot of heat. I also had light gloves with a thin lining and my hands were always warm. If  I was just standing around alot I suppose I would get cold, but that big hill kept me as warm as 5 layers of clothing. :D

[WH_Conley]

I never worry about treating gloves, it comes naturally, somethin is gonna break down and before long ya got grease and oil on the gloves. Instant treatment. By the way my wife won't let me go near the shop or mill if I am dressed to go anywhere special, swears I can find grease where there is none.

[Ed_K]

 Pulling cable all day, and gloves don't last long. I buy em by the dozen from Bailey's. I rotate 3 or 4 pr per day, so they don't get to wet. And dry them on the duct work over night. For real cold days just running tractor I have a couple pr of Kinko's, more expensive, but warmer.

[ksu_chainsaw]

I have many different pairs of gloves too.  For extremely wet conditions, such as working in wet snow, i wear a pair of neoprene gloves- very waterproof- with a silk-weight liner to wick the sweat off of my hands.  If I am working with something that will tear up the gloves, such as firewood, I put a pair of black military issue leather gloves over the top- I usually run through about 6 pairs of leather gloves before the neoprene ones are wore out.  I have also found that welders gloves work pretty good for handling firewood and that stuff- since they are suade, I just spray them down good with scotchguard or something like that, and they stay pretty dry.  For the times that im out running the tractor on a cold day, i wear a pair of gortex/thinsulate gloves- again, military issue, and they stay pretty warm.

For treating gloves, I have found that scotchguard spray works about the best for most gloves, and is the easiest to apply.  I have also used a product called sno-seal, which I use on my leather boots to keep my feet dry.  Just put it on thick, take a heat gun to melt it into the leather, wipe off the excess, and let dry for a couple days- usually lasts about a week.

Charles

[Ga_Boy]

I like the black military issue leather gloves with a wool insert.

I can work out side all day running a cain saw, stacking wood or whatever else I gotta get done that day and my hands are warm and dry.

Now when I am on the tractor clearing snow, my hands get cold fast.

[sprucebunny]

Thanks for the replies and ideas  
I took ksu_chainsaw's advice and went to the Army/Navy and got some neoprene gloves to try...They didn't have any leather ones that fit over them but I'll get them later...Thanks , Charles ;D
Also took Murf's advice and looked in the tack department at the local Ag. store and found a product made locally by someone I know !!!
www.limmerbootgrease.com
Stuff seems great...I'll let you know in a few weeks
Have a collection of gloves , now, that should last me a month or so



WH_Conley....I'm pretty sure that the dirt finds ME ;D
I'm a dirt magnet  :D