FITS like a glove? It should by now.
Gloves have been around for thousands
of years and you'd think this
difficult-to-make item would be
ironed out by now. But there are a
few new wrinkles in hand-wear these
days, with specialized gloves made
for just about any household task. Story by Burl Burlingame
Star-BulletinGloves -- the word comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase for "palm of the hand" -- were traditionally made of leather, and were worn around the cave in prehistoric times. Gloves and footwear are the earliest known protective clothing, and by the Middle Ages they became badges of rank and privilege as well. Leather is still the most widely used material for work gloves, as it provides a second skin between your delicate paws and tools. Gloves are also useful as insulation, keeping out cold and hot.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Light-duty "Jersey" gloves
have reinforced fingertips. $2.50.
Leather gloves
For work around the yard and house, where simple skin protection is needed, leather work gloves come in two varieties; smooth-side out and rough-side out. The rough-side-out isn't as attractive, but it lasts longer. Deerskin gloves aren't as durable as cow skin,, but deerskin remains flexible when wet.Examples of leather gloves are the Wells Lamont "Grips" of cowhide ($12.72 a pair at Gaspro or $18.99 at City Mill), Wells Lamont Deerskins ($13.08 at Gaspro) or Midwest-brand generic gloves at Eagle Hardware ($15.97).
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
"Golden Needles" have an
acrylic non-slip surface, $2.25.
Some gloves use leather on the palms and fingers, and fabric elsewhere to help the hand breathe. Examples include Wells Lamont "For Women" gloves ($7.18 at Gaspro) or Midwest "Women's" ($4.59 at Eagle; $6.99 for a two-pair "Bonus Pack").
Cloth gloves
These also act as buffer between tool and skin, and have the advantage of being flexible and airy. You're more likely to find these in the garden or in the kitchen. Basic canvas gloves are $7.99 for a generic six-pack at Eagle. Or Gaspro has Wells Lamont "Jersey" gloves with reinforced tips and Jomac's terry-cloth version ($2.50 each). These, plus a forearm-only version that essentially makes the glove run up to your elbow, are popular in pizza kitchens where the hot pans are carried from the oven.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Vinyl dots give these light-duty
"For Women" gloves a firm grip, $2.99.
Multimedia gloves
Traditional cloth or leather gloves have recently gone multimedia, with additional elements added to make them handier. This makes them tougher on the areas that actually come in contact with the work -- rough lumber, yard tools or cut glass, for example -- while the rest of the glove is lighter, more flexible and more comfortable.One of the more common gloves of this type has vinyl dots scattered over the cloth, increasing the non-slip grip while the glove still breathes through the spaces between the dots. Dotted gloves include Wells Lamont "For Women" ($2.99 at Gaspro), "Dot 2 Dot" ($1.56 at Gaspro), "Hob Nob" ($3.99 at City Mill) and a generic brand at Eagle ($1.99).
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Foam-filled gloves are insulated
for working in cool places, $17.51.
These gloves are sewn together from pieces of leather or fabric. Newer gloves are created from a woven, shaped cloth insert that's dipped in a brew to create a texture on the outside. These and traditional "Playtex" kitchen gloves are formed on a porcelain "master hand" at the factory and peeled off when the rubber hardens."The liners are interlock, or knit, and they don't have the problem with loose threads or lint the old gloves had," said George Mauliola, who manages industrial-wear at Gaspro and has seen gloves come and go. He says he's never seen so many varieties of gloves available.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
This standard-issue "Leather Glove" offers
protection for general use, $9.79.
Plastic gloves
These come in the widest variety. The new-design gloves have the advantage of being water- and chemical-proof, thin, comfortable and inexpensive. They're handy around the house when using caustic liquids such as bleach or cleaning solvents, or in the yard to protect from cement lime, fertilizers and the like. They also provide a firmer grip on slippery work."Supported" gloves have a cloth liner; "unsupported" don't. Supported gloves are tougher and are used in general-purpose work. Unsupported gloves are needed where both resistance to chemicals or disease and dexterity are required. Think construction worker or fisherman vs. heart surgeon or food-service employee.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Terry-cloth gloves can be combined with
a forearm protector, $5.34 for both. Good
for carrying pizza pans.
That determined, there are four categories to consider:
Chemical-resistant gloves protect against chemicals and guard against minor hand injuries.
That's not all. You thought maybe all there was to gloves was seeing if they fit? These gloves have various patterns of grip designs and textures (ranging from crinkles to drips to recessed diamonds), cuffs (rolled? pinked? knit-wrist? gauntlet?), and basic materials (natural rubber or latex, synthetic rubber or nitrile, PVA or polyvinyl alcohol, PVC or polyvinyl chloride, and EVOH or ethylene vinyl alcohol).
Whew.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
This cow hide glove has a gauntlet for extra
protection of the wrist area.
The acknowledged leader in this type of glove manufacture is Ansell Edmont Industrial, which carries dozens of gloves geared to specific tasks. Gaspro carries most of Ansell Edmont's catalog. Gaspro used to manufacture similar gloves for the pineapple industry, where protection from the sun, sharp leaves and cutters, and acidic juice was a priority.The materials matter. Some people, for example, are allergic to latex and have to wear something else. But if you're working with chemicals, you have to watch out for "permeation." That's where a chemical molecule can drift right through a protective layer as if it weren't there. Ever wonder where the air goes in an inflated rubber balloon? The air molecules gradually permeate right through the rubber.
The Ansell Edmont green Sol-Vex nitrile glove is among the most popular, and is widely used in the hotel and cleaning industries because of its resistance to abrasive and ammonia-based cleaners. But if you're using Toluene, it'll penetrate the glove in 10 minutes or less. Turpentine will work through in 30 minutes.
So clean the kitchen using thin nitrile gloves, but don't paint in oils or strip the finish off the car.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Gaspro employees show off the store's wide selection
of gloves. From left: George Mauliola, Preston Galera,
Marc Epalaroza, Arnold Tellez, Mariah Galera,
5, and her mother, Carla.
Ansell Edmont has charts that compare glove materials against chemicals, handy if you're going to be using a particular chemical.The Sol-Vex nitrile gloves come in various thicknesses and lengths, priced from $2.27 to $10 at Gaspro. "Environmental people use them all the time, too," said Mauliola. "They're very dextrous, strong and thin -- they've pretty much replaced the old Playtex model. Great for housecleaning chemicals."
"Golden Needles," knit gloves with a no-slip acrylic dribble pattern over the surface -- good for working with glass -- are $2.25. Similar are "Golden Grab-Its" by Ansell Edmont, $3.76. The Midwest brand carried by Eagle has a similar model of gold-colored acrylic dribble-gloves, $3.99.
The vinyl-coated knit "KSR" model ($3.06 at Gaspro), has a nubby surface like rubbery sandpaper and is popular among fishermen, said Mauliola, because it not only hangs on to slippery fish, it dries quickly. Golden Grab-Its are also used in fishing.
Specialty gloves
Some gloves are made for specific jobs, but can be handy for other types of work.A welding glove made by Polar Bear and repackaged by Gaspro is knit of synthetic fibers and very resistant to sharp or cutting edges; it's $17.66 and handy to have for jobs other than welding.
Then there are disposable latex, nitrile or vinyl gloves, the kind used by surgeons and Subway employees. You can use them if you mix resin, use hair dyes or other jobs where you need dexterity but also want to keep liquid away from your skin.
At Eagle, 140 vinyl gloves by Magla are $16.99; 100 by Midwest are $12.99. At Gaspro, 100 Marigold vinyl gloves are $11.90; 100 Touch N Tuff nitrile gloves are $16; and 24 Florida Coast latex gloves are $5.50.
For those running hot or cold, prepare to spend a bit more. Insulated refrigerator gloves at Gaspro are $17.51, ideal for working inside that home meat locker. And firefighting gloves from FireTend are $36.35 at Gaspro. But they've got aluminized back surfaces to reflect heat, just in case that barbeque gets out of control.
Gaspro seems to have the widest variety of gloves in Honolulu, and more importantly, a range of sizes of each. The prices are reasonable. "When I see the prices they charge for the same kind of glove in the supermarket or someplace, I just shake my head," said Mauliola. "I guess that's the price you pay for convenience."
