Topic: Best pair of riding gloves? - update June 8th 2008

[cleveland]

Thanks!

[DarkRider]

the Alpinestars gloves i have are a lil more then the Rev it gloves you got ($90) so im not liking the fact that i had tab problems..but oh well..its just the tab not a biggie..

[kpier883]

Lowes - Wells Lamont Pig Skin palms with breathable backs for the summer are working well for me.  Cost maybe 15 bucks.  I just finished a ride weekend before last of about 1400 miles - Houston, Texas to Arkansas to Oklahoma and back to Arkansas.  Then to Memphis to Tuscaloosa to Birmingham and my hands never got uncomfortable.  Covered four or five hundred miles the last day. 

I am still wearing the only leather jacket I ever bought - a Hein Gericke that I bought new in 1986 or 1987.  I kept it on most of the trip.  All I've ever done to it is rub in some black shoe polish once or twice when the black started to fade.  The zipper tore up last summer, and I need to find a shop to put a new one on.  They will probably want 1/2 as much as I paid for the jacket to fix it...

I don't know if anyone still sells Hein Gericke, or if the quality is the same.  If I were to purchase another, I would either buy a longer jacket of the same era used, or opt for something with armor provisions.  I haven't decided.  In the mean time, engines and projects are chewing up any extra cash anyway, so it is good the the old one keeps hanging in there.

[BobbyR]

For summer use, I love these elkskin ropers.  Soft, yet tough as nails- I kid you not.  They're also great for pruning rose bushes.
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Elkskin-Roper-p-16818.html

For cool weather, I've been using the same Thorlow (sp?) deerskin gloves for - 30 years now?  I stitched a tear from a get-off with dental floss.  Nikwax makes them more water repellant, and they even have a formula for gloves (not slippery). A very long time, anyway.  Love 'em.  Cold weather I have some Bates gloves that I've had for even longer.  I wish I would wear them out...

OK, I'm done.

Ernie, if you need some thread for leather i will sd you some. Dental floss, that is inventive I must say.   

[andy750]

I am still wearing the only leather jacket I ever bought - a Hein Gericke that I bought new in 1986 or 1987.  I kept it on most of the trip.  All I've ever done to it is rub in some black shoe polish once or twice when the black started to fade.  The zipper tore up last summer, and I need to find a shop to put a new one on.  They will probably want 1/2 as much as I paid for the jacket to fix it...

I still have my leather jacket from 1989 and was wearing it Saturday in 94F heat....still looks good though a tad on the short side now but has the elbow/shoulder/lower back padding and has saved me in a crash before. I do have another jacket though for more serious highway riding. I also have a Hein Gericke gore-tex textile jacket for winter use. Great jacket, super-warm, armor and great quality. Yes they still make them.

cheers
Andy

[hopterfixer]

I have been wearing a pair of white Icon Pursuit gloves going on three seasons now, (15,000 miles of riding) and love them.  They are well ventilated, padded knuckles, very comfortable, and it looks like I just stepped off of the 18th green     They run small so I wear a size XXXL.  I highly recommend them.
   

[chrislib]

I picked up a pair of these from my Mac tools dealer at work.http://www.mechanix.com/us/#/motorsports/gloves/?mpact?mp3 I have used Mechanix gloves at work for many years and they work great,darn near indestructible guess I`ll find out how good they are for riding.

[super pasty white guy]

After wearing out 2 pair of gloves in 2 years (a pair of Fieldsheer gloves, and a brand now forgotten) I decided to spend a bit extra and try a pair of lee parks deertours.

They're really comfortable, I've got to give them that.  They are "just a leather glove".  Double layers of leather on the knuckles and palm, but no armor or anything.  All the seams seem to be placed so they won't rub.

I like 'em so far, and if I get 2 years out of them I'll be happy.

http://www.foxcreekleather.com/127.html

spwg

[eldar]

With double leather, I doubt armor would do much. Gloves are mainly for abrasion anyways. You land your hand that hard and you will break it with the impact anyways.

[medic09]

For summer use, I love these elkskin ropers.  Soft, yet tough as nails- I kid you not.  They're also great for pruning rose bushes.
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Elkskin-Roper-p-16818.html

For cool weather, I've been using the same Thorlow (sp?) deerskin gloves for - 30 years now?  I stitched a tear from a get-off with dental floss.  Nikwax makes them more water repellant, and they even have a formula for gloves (not slippery). A very long time, anyway.  Love 'em.  Cold weather I have some Bates gloves that I've had for even longer.  I wish I would wear them out...

OK, I'm done.

Ernie, if you need some thread for leather i will sd you some. Dental floss, that is inventive I must say.   

Floss is great.  Pretty standard, really.  My army gear was repaired with bailing wire for durability (hot probe to make the holes neat, pull through with small needle nose.  Pre-Leatherman days), and clothing and civilian gear with dental floss.  The waxed floss moves through the fabrics more easily and helps fill the holes.  Nice job, Ernie! 

[heffay]

speaking of weird clothing fix-it ideas... my green vietnam hand-me-down coat has waxy red stains still on it.

when i asked the guy that it came from what that was all about he said they often used candle wax on the zippers to keep them working properly.

good idea!  candle wax still on the coat 30 years later... bad execution.

[medic09]

Sure!  Just take the broad end of a candle and rub it up and down the zipper.  Work the zipper a few times and done!  No need to melt it.

Melted wax on Vietnam issue coat, said they were waxing the zippers.  Methinks they were doing something else at the same time.  Little partying going on there...

[BobbyR]

For summer use, I love these elkskin ropers.  Soft, yet tough as nails- I kid you not.  They're also great for pruning rose bushes.
http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-Elkskin-Roper-p-16818.html

For cool weather, I've been using the same Thorlow (sp?) deerskin gloves for - 30 years now?  I stitched a tear from a get-off with dental floss.  Nikwax makes them more water repellant, and they even have a formula for gloves (not slippery). A very long time, anyway.  Love 'em.  Cold weather I have some Bates gloves that I've had for even longer.  I wish I would wear them out...

OK, I'm done.

Ernie, if you need some thread for leather i will sd you some. Dental floss, that is inventive I must say.   

Floss is great.  Pretty standard, really.  My army gear was repaired with bailing wire for durability (hot probe to make the holes neat, pull through with small needle nose.  Pre-Leatherman days), and clothing and civilian gear with dental floss.  The waxed floss moves through the fabrics more easily and helps fill the holes.  Nice job, Ernie! 

I used to make Holsters and other leather goods.  I use a waxed nylon thread. It has a bit more strength than floss.