Leather glove
Encyclopedia
A leather glove is a fitted covering for the hand with a separate sheath for each finger
and the thumb
. This covering is composed of the tanned hide of an animal (with the hair removed), though it is not uncommon in recent years for the leather
to be synthetic.
, a baseball glove is an oversized leather glove with a web used for fielding the ball. Leather gloves also factor into playing handball
. Cyclists
also use leather gloves. Leather gloves are also used frequently by football
players so that they can more easily grip the ball.
Early Formula One racing drivers used steering wheels taken directly from road cars. They were normally made from wood necessitating the use of driving gloves.
Leather gloves also provide protection from occupational hazards. For example, beekeepers use leather gloves to avoid being stung by bees. Construction workers might also use leather gloves for added grip and for protecting their hands. Welders use gloves too for protection against electrical shocks, extreme heat, ultraviolet
and infrared
.
and transmitting the feeling of the road to the driver. They provide a good feel and protect the hands. They are designed to be worn tight and to not interfere with the hands movements. The increased grip allows for more control, and increased safety at speed.
True driver’s gloves can be identified because they offer tactile advantages to drivers frequently handling a car near the limits of adhesion. Made of soft leather, drivers gloves are unlined with external seams, which makes them seamless inside so as not to interfere with the sensitivity of the drivers touch on the steering wheel, and subsequently information from where the tire contacts the road. Driver’s gloves feature open knuckles and back for maximum flexibility, ventilation and to reduce stress on the soft, thin, skin tight, leather. Holes punched in fingers and palms for breathability, short cuffs so as not to restrict movement, and a stud fastener closure on the back for proper fit around the wrist.
The finest driving gloves, are hand sewn using Peccary
glove leather, although other materials and fasteners may be used.
, some women would wear undersized leather gloves in an effort to shrink the size of their hands, as small hands were considered a sign of beauty. A gauntlet
, which could be a glove made out of leather or some kind of metal armor, was a strategic part of a soldier's defense throughout the Middle Ages
, but the advent of firearms phased hand-to-hand fighting out of most military
engagements. As a result, the need for gauntlets also disappeared. As far back as the Old Testament
book of Leviticus
, the Jews
were instructed to show their leather gloves to priests if it appeared the mildew
was growing on them, and if so, the gloves would be considered unclean.
More recently in history, Tommie Smith
and John Carlos
held up their leather glove-clad fists at the awards ceremony of the 1968 Summer Olympics
. Their actions were intended to symbolize Black Power
, but they were banned from the Olympics for life as a result of the incident. Yet another of the more infamous episodes involving a leather glove came during the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder case in which Simpson demonstrated that the glove purportedly used in the alleged murder was too small to fit his hand.
, Samuel L. Jackson
's character wears leather gloves.
A popular depiction of a leather glove in fiction
is the use of such a glove by Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars
movies. He wears the glove to cover his robotic hand and to hint at the transformation of Anakin into the evil villain
Darth Vader
.
In the television show Bonanza
, Joe Cartwright famously wore black leather gloves.
Another example of leather gloves in fiction is in the Hitman
video games. Agent 47, the main character, is an assassin
who typically wears a suit, tie, and prominently-displayed black leather gloves.
In a Celebrity Jeopardy!
sketch on Saturday Night Live
, Sean Connery
(as portrayed by Darrell Hammond
) humorously refers to a leather glove being an object out of which people drink water.
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
and the thumb
Thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
. This covering is composed of the tanned hide of an animal (with the hair removed), though it is not uncommon in recent years for the leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
to be synthetic.
Common uses
A common use for leather gloves is sporting events. In baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, a baseball glove is an oversized leather glove with a web used for fielding the ball. Leather gloves also factor into playing handball
American handball
American handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
. Cyclists
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
also use leather gloves. Leather gloves are also used frequently by football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
players so that they can more easily grip the ball.
Early Formula One racing drivers used steering wheels taken directly from road cars. They were normally made from wood necessitating the use of driving gloves.
Leather gloves also provide protection from occupational hazards. For example, beekeepers use leather gloves to avoid being stung by bees. Construction workers might also use leather gloves for added grip and for protecting their hands. Welders use gloves too for protection against electrical shocks, extreme heat, ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
and infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
.
Main types of Gloving Leather
Leather is a natural product with special characteristics that make it comfortable to wear, and give it great strength and flexibility. Because it is a natural product, with its own unique variations, every piece has its own individual characteristics.- Peccary is the world’s rarest and most luxurious gloving leather. PeccaryPeccaryA peccary is a medium-sized mammal of the family Tayassuidae, or New World Pigs. Peccaries are members of the artiodactyl suborder Suina, as are the pig family and possibly the hippopotamus family...
leather is very soft, difficult to sew, and is hard wearing. - Hairsheep originates from sheep that grow hair not wool. Hairsheep leather is finer and less bulky than other leathers. Its major benefits are softness of touch, suppleness, strength, and lasting comfort. It is very durable and is particularly suited for the manufacture of dress gloves.
- Deerskin has the benefit of great strength and elasticity, but has a more rugged appearance, with more grain on the surface, than hairsheep. It is very hard wearing and heavier in weight than hairsheep leather.
- Slink lamb is used only in the most expensive lambskin gloves. Some of the finest lambskin comes from New Zealand.
- Sheepskin, also called shearling, is widely used for casual and country gloves. It is very warm in cold weather, and has its own natural wool lining from the wool on the sheep.
- Cowhide is often used for lower priced gloves. This leather is generally considered too thick and bulky for the majority of glove styles, particularly finer dress gloves. It is however, used for some casual styles of glove.
- Goatskin is occasionally used for gloves. It is hard wearing but coarser than other leathers and is normally used for cheaper gloves.
Leather glove linings
- Cashmere is warm, light in weight, and very comfortable to wear. Cashmere yarn comes from the hair of mountain goats, whose fleece allows them to survive the extreme weather conditions they are exposed to.
- Silk is warm in winter and cool in summer and is used both in men’s and women’s gloves, but is more popular in women’s.
- Wool is well known for its natural warmth and comfort, as well as having a natural elasticity.
- Other linings, which include wool mixtures and acrylics.
Component parts
The component parts that may be found in a leather dress glove are one pair of tranks, one pair of thumbs, four whole fourchettes, four half fourchettes, two gussets, and six quirks. Depending on the style of the glove there may also be roller pieces, straps, rollers, eyelets, studs, sockets and domes. Finally, linings will themselves consist of tranks, thumbs and fourchettes.Stitching
The most popular types of leather glove sewing stitches used today are:- Inseam, which is mainly used on women’s gloves, but occasionally on men’s dress gloves.
- Hand stitched, which is most popular in men’s gloves and some women’s styles. Hand stitching is a very time consuming and skilled process.
Some glove terms
- Points are the three, or sometimes single, line of decorative stitching on the back of the glove.
- Fourchettes are the inside panels on the fingers of some glove styles.
- Quirks are found on only the most expensive hand sewn gloves. They are small diamond shaped pieces of leather sewn at the base of the fingers, where they are attached to the hand of the glove to improve the fit.
- Button length is the measurement in inches that is used to determine the length/measurement from the base of the glove thumb to the cuff of the glove.
- A strap & roller is used to adjust the closeness of the fit around the wrist.
- A Vent is the ‘V’ shaped cut out of the glove, sometimes at the back, but more often on the palm, to give the glove an easier fit around the wrist.
Driving gloves
Driving gloves are designed for holding a steering wheelSteering wheel
A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles and vessels ....
and transmitting the feeling of the road to the driver. They provide a good feel and protect the hands. They are designed to be worn tight and to not interfere with the hands movements. The increased grip allows for more control, and increased safety at speed.
True driver’s gloves can be identified because they offer tactile advantages to drivers frequently handling a car near the limits of adhesion. Made of soft leather, drivers gloves are unlined with external seams, which makes them seamless inside so as not to interfere with the sensitivity of the drivers touch on the steering wheel, and subsequently information from where the tire contacts the road. Driver’s gloves feature open knuckles and back for maximum flexibility, ventilation and to reduce stress on the soft, thin, skin tight, leather. Holes punched in fingers and palms for breathability, short cuffs so as not to restrict movement, and a stud fastener closure on the back for proper fit around the wrist.
The finest driving gloves, are hand sewn using Peccary
Peccary
A peccary is a medium-sized mammal of the family Tayassuidae, or New World Pigs. Peccaries are members of the artiodactyl suborder Suina, as are the pig family and possibly the hippopotamus family...
glove leather, although other materials and fasteners may be used.
In history
Leather gloves have also been noted throughout history. The 1592 "Ditchley" portrait of Queen Elizabeth I features her holding leather gloves in her left hand. In the Victorian eraVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, some women would wear undersized leather gloves in an effort to shrink the size of their hands, as small hands were considered a sign of beauty. A gauntlet
Gauntlet (gloves)
Gauntlet is a name for several different styles of glove, particularly those with an extended cuff covering part of the forearm. Gauntlets exist in many forms, ranging from flexible fabric and leather gloves, to mail and fully articulated plate armour....
, which could be a glove made out of leather or some kind of metal armor, was a strategic part of a soldier's defense throughout the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, but the advent of firearms phased hand-to-hand fighting out of most military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
engagements. As a result, the need for gauntlets also disappeared. As far back as the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
book of Leviticus
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
, the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
were instructed to show their leather gloves to priests if it appeared the mildew
Mildew
Mildew refers to certain kinds of molds or fungi.In Old English, it meant honeydew , and later came to mean mildew in the modern sense of mold or fungus....
was growing on them, and if so, the gloves would be considered unclean.
More recently in history, Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith
Tommie Smith is an African American former track & field athlete and wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith won the 200-meter dash finals in 19.83 seconds – the first time the 20 second barrier was broken...
and John Carlos
John Carlos
John Wesley Carlos is a Cuban American former track and field athlete and professional football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics and his black power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy...
held up their leather glove-clad fists at the awards ceremony of the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
. Their actions were intended to symbolize Black Power
Black Power
Black Power is a political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies. It is used in the movement among people of Black African descent throughout the world, though primarily by African Americans in the United States...
, but they were banned from the Olympics for life as a result of the incident. Yet another of the more infamous episodes involving a leather glove came during the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder case in which Simpson demonstrated that the glove purportedly used in the alleged murder was too small to fit his hand.
In popular culture and fiction
In the film Jackie BrownJackie Brown (film)
Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
, Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
's character wears leather gloves.
A popular depiction of a leather glove in fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
is the use of such a glove by Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
movies. He wears the glove to cover his robotic hand and to hint at the transformation of Anakin into the evil villain
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
.
In the television show Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
, Joe Cartwright famously wore black leather gloves.
Another example of leather gloves in fiction is in the Hitman
Hitman (computer game series)
Hitman is a stealth game series developed by the Danish company IO Interactive. The series is available on PC as well as several video game consoles, including the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. The game series has since expanded into a novel, Hitman: Enemy Within written by...
video games. Agent 47, the main character, is an assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
who typically wears a suit, tie, and prominently-displayed black leather gloves.
In a Celebrity Jeopardy!
Celebrity Jeopardy! (Saturday Night Live)
Celebrity Jeopardy! was a recurring sketch on the television comedy/variety show Saturday Night Live that regularly aired between 1996 and 2002, the years when Will Ferrell was a cast member...
sketch on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
(as portrayed by Darrell Hammond
Darrell Hammond
Darrell Hammond is an American actor, stand-up comedian and impressionist. He was a regular on Saturday Night Live from 1995 until 2009, the longest tenure of any cast member. Upon his departure, Hammond, at age 53, was the oldest cast member in the show's history...
) humorously refers to a leather glove being an object out of which people drink water.