# What gloves do you wear? Are they American made?



## BigGthetree (Sep 26, 2011)

Got lucky the other day. My 660 chain broke and hit the chainbreak bar and just nicked my left hand glove. It tore the glove apart (cheap Harbor Freight 6 pack). Been looking around for something with Kevlar on the back of the left hand and am having a devil of a time. Lumbermans looked good but they told me they were made in China for them "no American company makes that quality level of glove." Wow, is it that bad that the Chi-Coms have to make our gloves? Help me out here. What do you all wear?


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## CNBTreeTrimming (Sep 26, 2011)

I use the youngstown gloves. Been very pleased with dexterity, durability, and protection. Available through wesspur.


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## madhatte (Sep 26, 2011)

For cutting: plain old leather USFS fireline gloves, turned rough-out for comfort and grip.

For wet but not cold: those thin Atlas ones with the nitrile palms.

For sorta-cold and wet: Atlas Therma-Fit

Whenever it's really cold I throw wool liners under whatever else I'm wearing. 

I doubt that Kevlar would be a good material for gloves -- the chain shouldn't be moving fast enough, even thrown, for matted fibers (like in chaps) to offer much more protection than leather, and compressed plates (like helmets) would hinder movement. I'd recommend good saw maintenance above all -- make sure your chainbrake works, the chainbrake handle isn't cut, and the chain catcher is intact. Keep the chain tensioned properly, and avoid twisting it in the cut. Oh, and don't outrun yourself while bumping knots. That's about the only way I've ever thrown chains, except for once when I hit a bullet and dragged it under the drivers.


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## BigGthetree (Sep 26, 2011)

I doubt that Kevlar would be a good material for gloves -- the chain shouldn't be moving fast enough, even thrown, for matted fibers (like in chaps) to offer much more protection than leather, and compressed plates (like helmets) would hinder movement. I'd recommend good saw maintenance above all -- make sure your chainbrake works, the chainbrake handle isn't cut, and the chain catcher is intact. Keep the chain tensioned properly, and avoid twisting it in the cut. Oh, and don't outrun yourself while bumping knots. That's about the only way I've ever thrown chains, except for once when I hit a bullet and dragged it under the drivers.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, good info here. I really appreciate it. Scared the Hell out me when that chain broke like that. It was pretty new. Anyway, I use both the chain roller and the chain catcher on my 660. Some of the guys use none. Some use one or the other. What are your thoughts? That chain bent the snot out of my chain catcher.


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## JimmyT (Sep 26, 2011)

I've worn White Mule gloves made by Wells Lamont for 25+ years and now they are getting hard to find. I would usually get about 2 years of wear out of them and they even held up in the rain. The gloves made in China can't even come close.


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## IcePick (Sep 26, 2011)

JimmyT said:


> I've worn White Mule gloves made by Wells Lamont for 25+ years and now they are getting hard to find. I would usually get about 2 years of wear out of them and they even held up in the rain. The gloves made in China can't even come close.



All Wells Lamont gloves are made in China now. I use to wear Berlin leather gloves made in Berlin, WI, until they closed their factory a few years ago.


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## BigGthetree (Sep 26, 2011)

Yeah, I really liked and wore Wells Lamont gloves for 35+ years. You are right, they are getting hard to find. All the guys used to wear White Mules. Saw some Wells Lamonts at Costco the other day. They were selling the tanned leather ones by the pair, and you probably guessed it, they were made in China. Good grief. :bang:


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## GASoline71 (Sep 26, 2011)

Anything made by the North Star Glove Co out of Tacoma WA. Been in business since 1910. The cat that owns it is a longtime family friend. If any oif you have worn White Ox gloves... they came from Tacoma, WA.

Gary


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## 056 kid (Sep 26, 2011)

been going all nat-tu-ral for the last week. Got to get the claws back up to work condition.. The cheapo white gloves work otherwise..


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## madhatte (Sep 26, 2011)

BigGthetree said:


> That chain bent the snot out of my chain catcher.


 
Then the chain catcher did its job... replace it, and carry on! I would never run a modern saw without one. Chains move pretty fast nowadays.

EDIT: to clarify, the chain moving around the bar moves really fast. However, in a situation where it breaks on the bottom of the bar, the chain catcher grabs a good length of it and folds it over from below, away from the operator. What flops up and over the chainbrake handle would be moving much slower, as it is not driven by the sprocket, and has no torque behind it, only whatever tension is left over from the force released by breakage. If the chain were to break on the top of the bar, it would simply be thrown away from you.

EDIT EDIT: geeze, hadda think about the physics of that a bit. I mean, I know how it works and all, but writing it out is a different story altogether!


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## hammerlogging (Sep 26, 2011)

madhatte said:


> Then the chain catcher did its job... replace it, and carry on! I would never run a modern saw without one. Chains move pretty fast nowadays.
> 
> EDIT: to clarify, the chain moving around the bar moves really fast. However, in a situation where it breaks on the bottom of the bar, the chain catcher grabs a good length of it and folds it over from below, away from the operator. What flops up and over the chainbrake handle would be moving much slower, as it is not driven by the sprocket, and has no torque behind it, only whatever tension is left over from the force released by breakage. If the chain were to break on the top of the bar, it would simply be thrown away from you.
> 
> EDIT EDIT: geeze, hadda think about the physics of that a bit. I mean, I know how it works and all, but writing it out is a different story altogether!




Madhatte, I've never had a pair of the vinyls or whatever they are hold up more than a couple days. My fallers gloves go a month or so.

Right now I'm in fingerless cheapo fallers gloves then with fingers, then 2 layers poly, then woo,l under poly season. When its super cold, then its winter gloves and it sucks, hopefully thats just a few days a year.

Anyhow, chain throw is just smacked, not cutjust smacked. Carry on.


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## 056 kid (Sep 26, 2011)

bit shaped shin indentations with blood underneath.


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## madhatte (Sep 26, 2011)

hammerlogging said:


> Madhatte, I've never had a pair of the vinyls or whatever they are hold up more than a couple days. My fallers gloves go a month or so.



Yeh, if I were falling for a living I'd be all about the good ol' leather and dreading wool days. I only mention the synthetics because I actually spend more time in those. The Therma Fits really are nice for what they are.


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## LoggingEngineer (Sep 27, 2011)

White ox, buy american!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## 2dogs (Sep 27, 2011)

I wear white cotton rigging gloves, White Ox, Madsen's, Bailey's. They are slippery at first but a little pitch and some soil and they are good to go. No need to change when the job changes to setting choker. I like the blue latex dipped gloves for climbing but they don't last long when handling wood, sometimes only an hour or two.

Leather forest worker gloves are pretty good when someone else is buying them but they don't last when the work is rough. I wear my gloves till they fall off my hand but I still can't see paying $40.00 for a pair of gloves. I think my wildland gloves are North Star but I'm not sure.


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## wowzers (Sep 30, 2011)

I buy White Ox's buy the dozen. I get about a week out of a pair depending on how wet it is and how barbed up our chokers are.


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## 2dogs (Sep 30, 2011)

I was next door to the lumber company today having a tire fixed so I went over to get Cody a new pair of leather gloves. There were very few choices in leather and lots of fabric gloves. Almost all the gloves were made in Communist China, all the leather gloves were. Sad. I guess it's true that America's number one export is scrap paper.


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## Humptulips (Oct 1, 2011)

Yep, White Ox. There was a time in the late 70s and early 80s when the stitching was no good in White Ox and I wore Lumberman but they cheapened them up and I went back to White Ox about 85. Been wearing them ever since.

The question is Are you really a logger if you never worn White Ox? I would be suspicious.:biggrin:


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## indiansprings (Oct 1, 2011)

Most of the time just cheap ole cotton string knit ropers gloves, buy em at the feed store for about 6.00 a doz. The plainsmen gloves that Sam's Club sells are a decent glove just to run a saw with, seems like they are goatskin.


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## mingo (Oct 1, 2011)

I like rough rider leather with gel padded palms, they do like to get chips down in the fingers though. White Ox are nice handling cable, but are clumsy hooking chain chokers which we use out here.


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## imagineero (Oct 1, 2011)

for general climbing, rigging and in tree saw running I'm using leather palmed ronstan sailing gloves. they're $40/pair and i get about 5 or 6 months out of them. being designed for hauling wet rope they work well in most conditions and are grippy. I use the kind with the fingertips bare. They have no protection on the back at all chain wise. No idea where they are made.

I also use the nitrile dipped gloves sometimes, more for general wood hauling and brush dragging. They're nicely grippy and great for climbing with rope. They really reduce the amount of squeeze you have to put on a rope and still be able to keep it in your hand, but they're clumsy for knot tying/untying, operating choke switches etc. A lot of variation between gloves with grip and life, and its not always about price either. I've had some of the blue palmed atlas gloves not last a day. I'm using some black palmed ones now and get a couple months out of a pair.

Shaun


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## wowzers (Oct 1, 2011)

View attachment 201123


I bet these babies would work.:hmm3grin2orange:


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## Gologit (Oct 1, 2011)

I usually just buy the Work Safe or White Ox cotton gloves from Bailey's. Every Spring I buy a dozen pair. Each pair lasts a couple of weeks depending on what I'm doing with them. 
If I'm just falling they might last a month or so. If I'm handling rigging or moving firewood they don't last quite as long but duct-tape sticks to the fingers real well and makes a good patch.
I lose more gloves than I wear out. :msp_mad:


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## 2dogs (Oct 1, 2011)

Gologit said:


> I usually just buy the Work Safe or White Ox cotton gloves from Bailey's. Every Spring I buy a dozen pair. Each pair lasts a couple of weeks depending on what I'm doing with them.
> If I'm just falling they might last a month or so. If I'm handling rigging or moving firewood they don't last quite as long but duct-tape sticks to the fingers real well and makes a good patch.
> I lose more gloves than I wear out. :msp_mad:


 
I only lose the right glove. I have a bucket full of left gloves.


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## Gologit (Oct 1, 2011)

2dogs said:


> I only lose the right glove. I have a bucket full of left gloves.


 
Aha! There _is_ somebody besides me that does that. I feel better now. My left hand gloves live in a cardboard box in the shop. I tried to get my wife interested in moving the thumbs over on a few of them (she's handy with a sewing machine) and making them into righties but I got that WIFE LOOK instead.


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## Joe46 (Oct 1, 2011)

wowzers said:


> View attachment 201123
> 
> 
> I bet these babies would work.:hmm3grin2orange:


 
JUST AWESOME:msp_rolleyes:


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## paccity (Oct 1, 2011)

wowzers said:


> View attachment 201123
> 
> 
> I bet these babies would work.:hmm3grin2orange:


 
yup so everybody can see ya waving and yelling look out.


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## slowp (Oct 1, 2011)

2dogs said:


> I only lose the right glove. I have a bucket full of left gloves.


 

Maybe we need to form a support group. My name is ----- and I lose my right gloves. 

I panicked at the GOL. I opened my beautiful Power Puff Girls pack and could only see left hand gloves. I was sure I had matched up pairs prior to leaving home. I dug some, and found a right hand glove.

Conspiracy? Or do we live next to a worm hole, where socks and gloves get sucked in, one at a time.

I buy the White Ox ones. They have the right sizes, just like socks, in my shopping town.


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## Gologit (Oct 1, 2011)

slowp said:


> Conspiracy? Or do we live next to a worm hole, where socks and gloves get sucked in, one at a time.


 
It's not just gloves. It's phillips screwdrivers, too. Also #10 black ink pens, bottle openers, rolls of electrical tape, cigarette lighters, small c-clamps, funnels, and that little L-shaped thingy that tightens the camlocks on tire chains.

Some of that stuff doesn't actually disappear, instead it migrates in and out of our lives. I either have five screwdrivers...or none. The ink pens get eaten by my crummy, or find little hiding places around the house until they slowly begin to filter back in. Suddenly I have a whole pickle jar full of pens, most of which have dried up over the course of the summer and don't work anymore. Maybe if I keep them in the jar long enough the'll lure the scotchtape dispenser, the hand held calculator, and the large manila envelopes into joining them on my desk...where they should all be to begin with.


Today there was no electrical tape. Anywhere. I take that back...electrical tape with just enough on the roll to _almost_ finish whatever I'm working on showed up just often enough to tease me. I put them on the special shelf with cans of WD-40 that have just a bit too much left in them to throw away...but not enough to do any real good. I carry a full can in each vehicle. I think they get out at rest stops and wander off.

Last winter I performed a major neatness on my shop. I found seven 9/16 wrenches. Nobody needs that many 9/16 wrenches which is a good thing because by now I'm back down to two of them.

And the L-shaped camlock tighteners? This last Spring when we finally put the tire chains away I had eight of them, all painted bright red with a hole drilled in the end for a belt lanyard so I absolutely couldn't lose one. Find one now, I dare you.They're probably vacationing in Barbados with the phillips screw drivers and full rolls of electrical tape. Hope they make it back before winter.


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## madhatte (Oct 1, 2011)

I'd like to nominate the above for "Post Of The Year".


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## slowp (Oct 1, 2011)

madhatte said:


> I'd like to nominate the above for "Post Of The Year".



That post is so true....so true.....


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## 2dogs (Oct 2, 2011)

I think Bob has been eating those funny mushrooms again.


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## Gologit (Oct 2, 2011)

Nope, I'm on the Injured Reserve list. Again. With all my spare time maybe I can try to figure out the migratory patterns of tools, dental floss containers, AAA batteries, and the highly elusive ink pens.

No 'shrooms. Don't like 'em.


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## 2dogs (Oct 2, 2011)

What happened this time? Fall off another cliff?


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## slowp (Oct 2, 2011)

I used my White Ox gloves to take the Grapple Cat in for his yearly maintenance. A look of fear was on the Veterinarians face when I put on the gloves and mentioned maybe I SHOULD have worn my long sleeved sweatshirt. He looked around and voiced concern about the where abouts of his volunteer assistant. The latter had disappeared. 

I reached into the kitty carrier and brought a limp cat out for shots. No traction devices were extended. The vet asked if Grapple was dangerous. I replied, "I don't know. I've never had him out like this."

The needle went into the hip of the Grapple Cat. His head whirled around and he snapped at the vet. No claws for me. I scratched Grapple's head and held it down. The other shot went into the other hip. Grapple stayed limp. I placed him back in the carrier. It was done. Off came the gloves, untested. 

Actually, I was wearing them to keep the kitty cooties off my hands. I'm allergic to Grapple. But it sure worries other people when you put them on!


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## Billy_Bob (Oct 2, 2011)

Husky (husqvarna) makes chainsaw protective gloves. I use them to operate my Stihl chainsaws (which gets me some rude comments around here because everybody I know is 100% Stihl).

And those gloves were hard to find. There are husky "regular" gloves and "chainsaw protective gloves". Both look the same, but the chainsaw gloves have more padding on the back side. Kevlar?


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## Samlock (Oct 2, 2011)

Billy_Bob said:


> Husky (husqvarna) makes chainsaw protective gloves. I use them to operate my Stihl chainsaws (which gets me some rude comments around here because everybody I know is 100% Stihl).
> 
> And those gloves were hard to find. There are husky "regular" gloves and "chainsaw protective gloves". Both look the same, but the chainsaw gloves have more padding on the back side. Kevlar?



Husqvarna doesn't make gloves. Identical gloves are sold under the label "Jonsered" and even "Stihl". They are not made in the USA, but in India. Sounds like cheap, eh? But maybe not. I have a pair of protected "Jonsered" mittens (with a separate right hand forefinger), which I use when a piss freezes up before landing. That's the sturdiest piece of handwear I've ever had. We don't have extreme cold all the time, just few months a year, but I have worn them 4 years. They look bad now, but I'm going to wear them next winter as well. India has few thousands years tradition manufacturing leather. And they are made of the Holy Cow's skin after all!


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## Gologit (Oct 3, 2011)

2dogs said:


> What happened this time? Fall off another cliff?


 
Nope. I don't do that any more. Spider bite...they think.


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## Metals406 (Oct 3, 2011)

slowp said:


> Maybe we need to form a support group. My name is ----- and I lose my right gloves.
> 
> I panicked at the GOL. I opened my beautiful Power Puff Girls pack and could only see left hand gloves. I was sure I had matched up pairs prior to leaving home. I dug some, and found a right hand glove.
> 
> ...


.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oHemwSzS8_4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## mitch95100 (Oct 3, 2011)

BigGthetree said:


> Got lucky the other day. My 660 chain broke and hit the chainbreak bar and just nicked my left hand glove. It tore the glove apart (cheap Harbor Freight 6 pack). Been looking around for something with Kevlar on the back of the left hand and am having a devil of a time. Lumbermans looked good but they told me they were made in China for them "no American company makes that quality level of glove." Wow, is it that bad that the Chi-Coms have to make our gloves? Help me out here. What do you all wear?


 
Haha makes me think of how they should put on kids toys- "made in china by kids your age":smile2:


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## Billy_Bob (Oct 5, 2011)

Well they say "Husqvarna" on them and are on their web site as ""Chain Saw Protective Gloves"...

Chain Saw Protective Gloves - Gloves


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## handsplit! (Sep 4, 2015)

Made in China... but they are great gloves. 3 pack for $20. I dig em! Have a nice pair of filson gloves. But i like these for all around use.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Sep 4, 2015)

Atlas. Blue rubber for summer and grey for winter. I can get a few MONTHS out of a pair. Usually buy them a dozen at a time for around $25. The winter ones are a little more.

I used to use leather gloves, but they wear out too fast. The thick ones like those above in the plastic pack feel like I'm trying to work with mittens on.

The thinner ones, like Mechanix type, if I got 2 weeks out of a pair that was about it. Also don't do well in wet.. where the Atlas keeps your hands fairly dry and are grippy.


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## handsplit! (Sep 4, 2015)

ValleyFirewood said:


> Atlas. Blue rubber for summer and grey for winter. I can get a few MONTHS out of a pair. Usually buy them a dozen at a time for around $25. The winter ones are a little more.
> 
> I used to use leather gloves, but they wear out too fast. The thick ones like those above in the plastic pack feel like I'm trying to work with mittens on.
> 
> The thinner ones, like Mechanix type, if I got 2 weeks out of a pair that was about it. Also don't do well in wet.. where the Atlas keeps your hands fairly dry and are grippy.



I agree. Are some disadvantages that leather. But you just can't beat a wooden handled axe or maul and a leather glove!


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## Westboastfaller (Sep 13, 2015)

BDG's (Bob Dale Gloves) sounds 'American'? They are good for sawing but if you have to handle wood they won't last. They have the high impact palm.
any of those styles are good. The gloves have to have the velcro top to keep out the chips,Thats the only style I'll look at.
They go up to 40 grams of thinsulate with deerskin, does the BDG'S and some guys can wear then in the cold days of the north winters. I like the high leather glove/mit with the one finger with the 70%wool liner. The coast I use the cotton "tighty whities" and double them up in fall/winter. They are easy to ring out and don't shrink like wet leather if you want to warm on the muffler


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## ChoppyChoppy (Sep 13, 2015)

handsplit! said:


> I agree. Are some disadvantages that leather. But you just can't beat a wooden handled axe or maul and a leather glove!



I don't own any axes and my maul, which I haven't used in years, has a steel pipe for a handle haha!

All my firewood making is done with equipment. I'd think the Atlas gloves might not work that great with an axe since they are fairly grippy and wouldn't slide so well.


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## hopm (Sep 13, 2015)

Harbor freight goat skin


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## row.man (Sep 13, 2015)

I buy gloves at HF, after all everything I can find is China made anyway, why overpay for the same stuff.
The "double palm" leather gloves actually have a hole cut under the patch on the palm, I need to sue for all the money wells Lamont stole from me before I figured that out.


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## moteinsun (Sep 15, 2015)

I have been reading around and it seems to be spending money every few weeks on a pair of gloves, or paying for a decent pair and replacing them less. I did find these through amazon:




http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KN1VBG...lid=1DA4D8T4SNRLO&coliid=I2WXTSS91Y6VOP&psc=1


36.00. Yea? I am starting to run a saw more, 20-30 hours a week. So am looking for good gloves.


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