Looking for place to break in mitts

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Oct 14, 2015
61
0
Barboursville WV
Was wondering if there was anyplace that you could send catchers mitts to be broken in game ready? We have two Vincis we need done ASAP, faster than we can do ourselves. Thanks ahead of time.
 
May 23, 2015
999
63
Vincis are a major pain in the butt to break in because of their over the top padding in the palm. I can make even the toughest A2000, Heart of the Hide, Nokona submit within 24 hours tops. Set your oven for 175, turn it off once it gets to temp, let the glove get warm, and thoroughly coat it in Lexol Deep Leather Conditioner. Work the hinge heavily back and forth with your hands bending the leather in an S shape while rolling it. Do the same with the web. Then have a spirited catch. I typical run my machine up to around 90 and catch a couple hundred baseballs. Game Ready! Vincis are far from a favorite even after they're broken in.

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Last edited:
Feb 22, 2013
206
18
I bought my dd's last glove at Dick's Sporting Goods. They had a glove steamer and by the time she took it out of the store it was game day ready. I was surprised by how well and how quick they could break in a glove with their glove steamer.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I bought my dd's last glove at Dick's Sporting Goods. They had a glove steamer and by the time she took it out of the store it was game day ready. I was surprised by how well and how quick they could break in a glove with their glove steamer.

This depends a lot on the quality of the glove. Mid-level gloves will respond quickly to the steaming process. High-end gloves will be helped along, but will still need a lot of work. My DD's first Vinci catcher's mitt (JCV-22) went through the Dick's steaming process twice. It still needed a LOT more work. That palm pad is a beast...
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Over the last 3 or 4 years every glove I've bought has been a tough break in! Probably 7 or 8 Heart of the Hides, 2 of those were horween, 3 Vinci's, and 1 All-Star catchers mitt. All very stiff with brick hard leather, the way they should be! Probably got 8 to 10 Vinci's through Casedawg, but only 3 for this household.

I know this is a very debated subject, lots of opinions on this so to each his own.......I'll never bake, broil, fry, steam, or microwave any glove I spend my hard earned money on! But that's just me. Drastically shortens the life of the glove, especially the laces. Really no different than leaving a glove in the trunk of your car in the middle of July/Aug.

Vinci mitts are dang tough, stubborn, they seen to have a mind and a memory of their own. I've wanted to sit one on the ground in my back yard and just beat the sh!t out of it with a sledgehammer! But they can be beat and it's very rewarding to get one where it needs to be and it'll last a very long time by breaking it in right with good old fashioned hard work!

OP, get you some Lexol like 625 pictured above, don't over do it, don't super soak the leather, you don't want it overpenetrating the leather and soaking the palm pad. Also as 625 said above, with Vinci mitts it's not the leather that's so frustrating, it's the palm pad, no doubt!! I love using a ball mallet, but for these mitts, you need some weight! I have a metal 3lb. dumbbell I use a lot, so get yourself a 3 or 5Lb. dumbbell and a rubber hammer from Home Depot and literally beat the crap out of it! Beat the heel, the break points, and that palm pad, and don't be scared, hit it!

Not to sound like too much of a hypocrite, I will throw a Vinci mitt in the clothes dryer with a bunch of towels for 6-8 minutes to warm it up, beat it into submission and then go throw. A Vinci catchers mitt is the only glove I've ever thrown into the dryer!
 
May 28, 2014
281
18
Mason at the glove whisper can have them back to you in about a week. They will be 75% good to go. My DD's Vinci Optimus still needed some work to be game ready, but it cut 4 weeks off the break in time.
 
Mar 20, 2014
918
28
Northwest
We took DD's new glove to Dick's and had it steamed. They charge you $25 if you didn't buy it there but well worth the money IMO. They will keep pounding the glove until yo are happy with it and if you keep your receipt, you can even come back if it needs a little tweaking.

Never tried it with a catcher's mitt. DD refuses to get a new one - she will be starting college ball with the same mitt that she has had since she was 12...
 

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