Gloves: what are you paying for?

[Hauptman]

I can't believe the price range on gloves these days.... from less than $10 to over $50. What's the difference for you?

What is the best glove you've tried? Why? What is the best inexpensive glove?

Personally, I've always used inexpensive gloves (foil/epee) and been quite satisfied, but I'd really like to hear from people as to what they get from the more expensive gloves.

[Craig]

I've used quite a bit of the $10-$12 beginner type gloves and they are just fine - comperable to the standard uhlmann gloves I fenced with in the past.

I also liked the LP G-125 glove (which was in the low $40's when I had one) and liked it for a comfy/cushy feel.

Lately I've used the FWF "Cooler" glove and really like it. They discontinued the "Cooler" for the "Gel" glove.

Craig

[tikimon852]

Personally i had never used any real fancy gloves until lately. My most expensive glove was 25 dollars. And it was a great glove it wasnt to stiff and gave the right amount of protection. Now i recently recieved a FWF gel glove. and to be honest i love the extra comfort it completly got rid of some of the blisters on my hand. so honestly yes the 50 dollar glove is trully better to me than the cheap one. I dont know if i care enough to buy it everytime i need a glove but i must say i do really like it

[Purple Fencer]

Iin some cases, the higher price may be justified...the FWF gloves mentioned here are a good example (I'll leave of on mention my OWN glove design here, just to be fair).

In other cases, you might be paying more for the name and less for actual improvements (*cough cough* Uhlmann).

[Zilverzmurfen]

My favourite glove is the Allstar/Uhlmann one that has little rubbery "dots" on the palm, for added grip. (I fence with a pistol grip so do not pommel.) It's very comfortable and the length of the fingers are just right -- for my hand.

I know some people complain about the rubber wearing off but my first one is going on its 4th year now and has been machine washed numerous times- Admitteldy, some of the rubber has now worn off the thumb and index finger, but all in all still holding up very well. Somewhat pricey at ~30 € but as they last me several years I'm not complaining.

Throughout the years I've used cheapo gloves (which have all been crappy quality and not particularly comfortable) aswell as the non-rubbery version of the Allstar gloves. Am intrigued by the FWF glove but have not been able to try it out.

So, in short: for the price I pay I get a very comfortable glove that lasts me for years. (And is totally machine washable at 30C.)

[fencerchica]

My glove is the $38.00 Estoc leather foil glove. I switched to it after Santelli went bust and it wasn't possible to get Santelli gloves anymore. But the Estoc glove is way better than the Santelli ever was. Extremely supple leather, nicely finished, great fit. For me the leather provides plenty of tackiness to hang onto my grips.

[Bokeh]

I'd always bought my club's standard $50ish Pbt or Uhlmann glove until recently. They were all relatively comfortable, but I always wore holes in the area over the pad of my thumb in less than a year. It's been a while since I had a cheap glove, so it's hard to compare. I don't think these last me a lot longer, though.

At the Kentucky NAC, I got one of the new FWF gel gloves (the one for epee with the gel-stuff on the back of the hand and no palm cushions) and one of the newer blue-and-black Uhlmann gloves with a ton of padding on the back of the hand. Each one was $42 dollars. I can't say anything about their longevity yet. The extra protection on the Uhlmann is really nice, though, and the FWF is definitely worth the money so far. It's thin, so it's more nimble, and the fingers actually FIT my hand. I have bizarrely long, skinny fingers, so most glove fingers are too short and too wide. The only cons about the FWF is that it doesn't breathe very well, I can't wash it, and the occasional hard hand shot hurts a lot.

[Tomas N]

I use a hungarian grip and an Uhlman glove. The Uhlman has extra padding on the palm that stretches all the way to cover the seam that attaches the thumb to the glove. Other gloves that don't have that design (LP, Estoc, Armor 2, to name a few) wear out much more quickly. The Uhlman also has longer and thinner fingers than other gloves that I've tried. Get a 9 1/2 from Absolute, for instance, and you get a glove designed for someone with a wide hand but short stubby fingers. Get a 9 1/2 from Triplette, and you get a glove designed for someone with incredibly beefy fingers. Because of the shape of my hand, I also don't like gloves that are bulky. If the glove is too bulky (LP, Armor 2) then I can't get my thumb comfortably on the grip. My hand also tires out quickly from those bulkier gloves, as I'm not only holding onto the grip, but I'm squeezing the glove closed too.

So for all those reasons, I like the Uhlman the best.

Tomas

[parrythis]

I am currently using a Viktoria glove. It is on the high end of the price range, but I love it. It fits, well... like a glove. It wears well and provides nice protection on the back of the thumb against errant flicks over the bell guard.

I like it so much that I am looking to buy another one even though my current one is a year old and showing very little signs of wear so that when I do need a new one, I'll have it.

[Morale Officer]

I use a cheap glove. Up until very very recently, I was still using my old Santelli glove I bought in 1998. I just had to retire it because the electrical tape couldn't hold the thumb on as well as cover the holes. I ended up buying one from BG. I don't want to pay a whole heck of a lot for a glove 'cause I'm a strange size. I buy a size 8.5, but the cuff is never wide enough for my forearm and the fingers are too long...especially the pinky finger. This is also why I go with the over-glove for sabre instead of buying a real glove. Until someone comes up with a glove that fits, I'll keep buying the inexpensive gloves. They've lasted me just fine.

[Nolano]

I'm using a Leon Paul glove. I've had pretty bad luck with gloves so far, and this one has been good so far. My clubmate has an Uhlmann glove and has had it for less than a year, and it's falling apart.

[twisterfencing]

Just a note of self, I don't mind paying for quality. I belive you will always (not sometimes) get what you pay for.

Best two gloves on the market today in my opinion are:

1. The Estoc French Leather
2. FWF new Gel

PS: For the best hand protection is Sam's (H.O.M. Fencing) glove. Nothing is going to get through this thing.

Gary Spruill

[Purple Fencer]

PS: For the best hand protection is Sam's (H.O.M. Fencing) glove. Nothing is going to get through this thing.

Thanks, Gary!

Just to clarify, however....the Armor gloves are great for IMPACT protection...the foam may provide a bit more penetration protecton, but that's not the design focus of the glove.

[Lance K]

I used to use a cheap Blue Gauntlet brand washable glove when I fenced foil. When I switched to epee, I found that the glove was too slippery, forcing me to use a too-tight grip. I switched to the $40 Uhlmann glove. It looked identical but the material was "stickier." Last year I replaced a worn Uhlmann with a Leon Paul glove similar to the Uhlmann and Blue Gauntlet in appearance. All of the gloves lasted about equally long, and wore out in the same ways. I'd happily switch back to the Blue Gauntlet cheapie if it wasn't so slippery.

I don't understand why there would be a difference in gripping ability. All the gloves appear to use the same material. Anyone have a similar experience or know of a different cheap brand that uses the same material as the Uhlmann/Leon Paul?

[whiteandbluefencer]

I use a Blue Gauntlet glove, and the only reason is because out of all the ones I tried at my club, it's the one that fit best. The fingers are short enough and the cuff is right for my forearm. All around it's snug, but not tight and once I'd worn it a few times it wasn't too stiff or anything! It's mid-range in price at about $20, if I remember right.

[akonator]

the best glove ive ever used is the uhlmann gripstar glove (around $50) wihich i am currently using. it seems thin in the palm and allows flexibility, yet it is exceptionally strong. ive had mine for only like three to four months, but it is impressive. the old glove i used to use was produced by absolute fencing gear, and was called the Absolute Advanced 3-W Washable Glove($18). it lasted about 2 years! it was pretty good, but took a long time to breaka into. the gripstar gives alot of comfort, flexibility of the fingers, and of course great grip. however the absolute glove gives less of each but is OK for the price.

[telkanuru]

I use the $40 Uhlmann glove.

The cheaper gloves have a tendancy to stretch in the palm which messes up my pommeling.

[Cookeit]

I use the Allstar Gripstar.
I originally bought one while it was on sale, and have been hooked ever since.

[XanderHal]

My first glove was a mid-range LP one that cost me like $30, which i found very thick. It bunched up in the fingers and gave me callouses. The padding on the wrist also ripped on the inside quite easily.

Now I use cheapo $12 BG gloves. I use them because the cuff material is single layer elastic, so it won't rip. The fingers are really thin and breathable giving a snug fit and good feel for the weapon. The only down side is that the finger tips wear easily, so I am reinforcing them with duct tape as they wear through. I think in general that the cheaper gloves tend to be more thin, which is something I've come to like. I will hold them together with duct tape until they are too far gone.

[Robert Smith]

We bought a bundle of jackets and gloves from Pakistan three or four years ago. Worked out at around $4 per glove. I've been using one ever since, and apart from a hole in the top of the index finger it's just fine. My prior gloves were part-glove-part-hockey tape by this time, so I'm happy with this one. It;s not an especially grippy glove; I don't think I'd want any more grip than I get. My primary foil grip is hand painted with three coats of Varathane, so obviously I'm comfortable with a lack of precise control. Cheap gloves are just fine by me.