Interesting video on how to break in a glove

[slingnit]

Well Slingnit, I guess we use products on gloves for a purpose.

The ingredients of shaving cream are basically (in descending order): Water, fatty acids, complex alcohols, complex salts, and liquid petroleum gasses other than for the purpose of pressurization. Every ingredient in basic shaving cream degrades leather. It softens the leather by DEGRADING the leather.

We know water is not good for leather.
We know salt is not good for leather.
We know petroleum gasses are not good for leather.

Many of the same ingredents in shaving cream are used in detergents. Surficants, emulsifiers, alcohol, salt, etc. Oh, and aloe is used for medicinal purposes, not softening. Aloe is used for things like cuts and constipation.


Now, let's take a look at Lanolin. Lanolin is a true form of wax. Lanolin is extracted from the wool of sheep. Once extracted from the wool and purified, it's main purposes are for protection, beautification, and skin treatment. What is leather? It is skin......do we not want to keep our gloves protected, supple, and beautiful? I know I do. I also want gloves to last.

One applies lanolin very sparingly on a glove. Constant glove use eventually requires additional applications. Once or twice a year will suffice. Lanolin does not make leather slippery; as a matter of fact it gives the leather a very slightly tacky feel. Lanolin doubles as waterproofing.

Use what you want Slingnit, but I prefer to use lanolin. I have used it for quite some time now with no ill effects.

I do use what I want, I didn't need your confirmation for that. You popped off that shaving cream does not break in a glove, guess you are the expert. But using your logic playing catch softens the leather by degrading it, so don't play catch.

Second you say emulsifiers and surfactants as a bad thing, why? It is not as if you are applying only salt or only fatty acids to a glove. You are adding compounds that act as lubricates.

Oh and third aloe may be used PRIMARILY for medicinal purposes but it is used in a variety of leather conditioning products for it's leather enhancing qualities. And since you are stating that leather is skin then what is one of the first applications put on damaged/burned skin????? ALOE, wow!!! May as well use Caress, before you dress..... or catch.

You can find an article or product research to support or reject any type of treatment, use mink oil/don't use mink oil, I've heard of people using transmission fluid then baking the glove. But remember that you stated "WE KNOW WATER IS BAD FOR GLOVES", adding lanolin or any other type of oil does just as much to keep what moisture that is in the glove in as it does to keep external moisture out, just a fact. To each is own on how they break in a glove I could care less.

 

[Ken Krause]

Wow! I guess some people are more passionate than others about how to break in a glove!

 

[Lenski]

lol.....I guess I struck a chord with Slingnit. Anyway, using the glove breaks it in, not shaving cream, lanolin, etc. Shaving cream and lanolin DO NOT penetrate through the entire thickness of the leather. They penetrate only the top surface of the leather. That's why they are considered a protectant. No matter what product you apply to a glove, that product by itself will not break in a glove. You need to use it. To think that these products soften the leather is laughable since they do not penetrate the entire piece of leather, however they will soften the surface. Now, you could get an oil or water to penetrate the entire glove but then the glove would be a heavy, sloppy mess.

Buy a new glove, use it, apply some form of protectant (I recommend Lanolin), wrap it up and let it sit a day or two, then use it again. Keep using until it is broken in. Apply your choice of protectant only once or twice a year depending on the amount of use. Also, keep your glove clean with a moist rag. Let the glove completly dry before wrapping it up and putting it away.

 

[Abrasiveboy]

I saw the title of this and figured by now we'd be up to 20 pages of opinions by now. I believe Ken was trying to give information rather than have arguments ensue. MLB players use water, microwaves, ovens, dryers, steamers and shaving cream. They don't have to buy their gloves but I'm sure you'd tell them they are wrong for using those products and of course your right.

Thanks for the info Ken, I am about to break in a new glove for my daughter. It helped me out.

 

[Lenski]

Nah....people can do what they want with their gloves.

I broke in my dd's catchers mitt from an Aso video. What Aso does mimics use and there's nothing wrong with what he does.

 

[Lenski]

Abrasiveboy's point about MLB players:

Major league advice on how best to break in a new baseball glove - ESPN

 

[coach james]

Awesome...