Glove Recommendations

[jacketsfan]

Hey guys, thanks for the input. I will check into these. Her current glove is shot. As usual, she didn't tell me - I found out when I picked it up after a practice, and it felt there was nothing left.

I'll have to ask around about the pro glove breaker-inner also. Since she is pretty immediate need, a good, quick break-in is important, but I also would like it to be something that'll last a little.

Thanks again.

 

[BretMan]

I have a nice Rawlings heart-of-the-hide glove that my wife gave me a few years ago. I couldn't actually use it until I sent it out and had it broken-in by a pro (Bretman - see his website. I highly recommend his services-he has repaired several gloves for me). Now it's my favorite glove

Thanks for the kind words. They are appreciated! I always like to hear feedback from my customers and it's great to know that glove is working out for you. That was a beautiful piece of leather (a top-of-the-line Rawlings Trap-Eze) and it was a pleasure to work on it.

I'm always hesitant to answer when someone asks which is the "best" glove. There are, literally, hundreds of gloves on the market to choose from and what one person thinks is the perfect glove, another might hate. The fit and feel of a ballglove is such a personal thing that it's hard to say one is better than the other. Choosing between, say, a Rawlings, a Mizuno and an Easton is about like choosing between strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream- or blondes, brunettes and redheads! They all have their strong points, but they all aren't for everybody.

I like to say that the "best" glove is the one that the player is most comfortable with, a glove that inspires confidence in the player's ability to field the ball. And that won't always be the same brand or the same model for two different players.

Fit and feel is so important that I recommend trying on as many gloves as possible before making a decision. I also understand that, depending on where you live, you may not have many places that offer you this option. If the choices in your area are limited, maybe you can try some of your teammates gloves, just to get an idea of the basic fit from different models (keeping in mind that the glove is already broken in to fit that particular player's hand).

If you're ordering on-line, make sure that the seller has a return policy- just in case.

"Long lasting" and "easy break in" are often at opposire ends of the scale. The gloves that come "pre-broken in" use softer leather and thinner materials, neither of which lend themselves to a long lifespan. The longer lasting gloves use thick leather and padding, which does take some more effort to break in. But once they are broken in, you may very well have a glove that can last your entire career- if not a lifetime!

Personal fit and feel aside, when it comes to quality you pretty much get what you pay for. Generally, a $50 glove will be of about the same quality of materials and workmanship no matter if it is a Rawlings, Wilson or Mizuno. By the same token, a $200 Easton, SSK or Nokona will be of similar quality. The less expensive gloves will usually be easier to break in, but not so durable. The expensive gloves will be harder to break in, but will last much longer.

It is my belief that even a mid-priced glove will last for many seasons if it is well cared for. If you keep the glove clean and dry, store it indoors at room temperatures without other equipment smashing down on top of it, condition the leather once or twice a season, tighten the laces when they become stretched and replace them if they become worn, you will get the maximum life out of your glove.

 

[jacketsfan]

great advice Bretman - thanks!

 

[PAcoach]

I am so glad i came across this thread. I have a catchers mitt that needs some pocket work..bretman seems to be the guy

 

[obbay]

Another thing to mention when talking about breaking in gloves is the Hot Glove systems. I have used them successfully on some gloves but I would think twice before using on a high-end glove. I have a Rawlings Heart-of-the-hide/Trap-eze model that I sent out to Bretman to break-in as I mentioned earlier. About the same time I got that glove, A friend got a Nokona that was of a similar quality-a nice glove. He broke it in by using repeated doses of Hot Glove treatment, I think more than they recommend in their instructions. Now, 3 years later (and I use mine 2 more seasons than he does), my glove is solid and functioning great. His glove is soft and floppy and needs work. A $200+ glove should last a lifetime.

 

[Wellphyt]

Is anyone familiar with the Nokona Diamond Heart Series fastpitch gloves? Model number AMG1200HRT-MT.

 

[BretMan]

Can't say that I've had the chance to examine the Diamond Heart gloves in person. Their previous fastpitch series of gloves were ergonomically deasigned to better fit the female hand (smaller finger stalls, narrow wrist opening, etc.).

Nokona usually has pretty good information about their gloves on their website. Unfortunately, their website is being redone and isn't up and running yet. They are going through a change in company ownership and I would expect to see some changes in the way their gloves are marketed and sold in the future.

Link: Nokona.com

 

[Wellphyt]

Can't say that I've had the chance to examine the Diamond Heart gloves in person. Their previous fastpitch series of gloves were ergonomically deasigned to better fit the female hand (smaller finger stalls, narrow wrist opening, etc.).

Nokona usually has pretty good information about their gloves on their website. Unfortunately, their website is being redone and isn't up and running yet. They are going through a change in company ownership and I would expect to see some changes in the way their gloves are marketed and sold in the future.

Link: Nokona.com

I called the Texas factory and they told me that they thought the Diamond Series was likely made at the Massachusetts factory.

 

[Wellphyt]

Thanks for the kind words. They are appreciated! I always like to hear feedback from my customers and it's great to know that glove is working out for you. That was a beautiful piece of leather (a top-of-the-line Rawlings Trap-Eze) and it was a pleasure to work on it.

I'm always hesitant to answer when someone asks which is the "best" glove. There are, literally, hundreds of gloves on the market to choose from and what one person thinks is the perfect glove, another might hate. The fit and feel of a ballglove is such a personal thing that it's hard to say one is better than the other. Choosing between, say, a Rawlings, a Mizuno and an Easton is about like choosing between strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream- or blondes, brunettes and redheads! They all have their strong points, but they all aren't for everybody.

I like to say that the "best" glove is the one that the player is most comfortable with, a glove that inspires confidence in the player's ability to field the ball. And that won't always be the same brand or the same model for two different players.

Fit and feel is so important that I recommend trying on as many gloves as possible before making a decision. I also understand that, depending on where you live, you may not have many places that offer you this option. If the choices in your area are limited, maybe you can try some of your teammates gloves, just to get an idea of the basic fit from different models (keeping in mind that the glove is already broken in to fit that particular player's hand).

If you're ordering on-line, make sure that the seller has a return policy- just in case.

"Long lasting" and "easy break in" are often at opposire ends of the scale. The gloves that come "pre-broken in" use softer leather and thinner materials, neither of which lend themselves to a long lifespan. The longer lasting gloves use thick leather and padding, which does take some more effort to break in. But once they are broken in, you may very well have a glove that can last your entire career- if not a lifetime!

Personal fit and feel aside, when it comes to quality you pretty much get what you pay for. Generally, a $50 glove will be of about the same quality of materials and workmanship no matter if it is a Rawlings, Wilson or Mizuno. By the same token, a $200 Easton, SSK or Nokona will be of similar quality. The less expensive gloves will usually be easier to break in, but not so durable. The expensive gloves will be harder to break in, but will last much longer.

It is my belief that even a mid-priced glove will last for many seasons if it is well cared for. If you keep the glove clean and dry, store it indoors at room temperatures without other equipment smashing down on top of it, condition the leather once or twice a season, tighten the laces when they become stretched and replace them if they become worn, you will get the maximum life out of your glove.

It seems like some of the gloves in the $200 -$300 range are using deerskin in the palms. Do you have an opinion on deerskin? Is it used just on the inside as a lining or is it used on the outside?

 

[Wellphyt]

BretMan - I know you are hesitant to recommend a glove, however what would be one plus and one minus of each of the following gloves:

Rawlings Heart of the Hide
Wilson A2K
Wilson A2000
Worth Liberty Advanced