Sailing gloves recommendations

[fishbait58]

Any recommendations for sailing gloves. Needing a men's and women's pair. Is there a type of material better than another? With fingers or without? Heard someone mention buying a pair from big box hardware store and cutting fingers. I would appreciate any thoughts and suggestions. Thanks.


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[2Hulls]

The best all around gloves I ever used were the three pack leather work gloves from Costco. Cheap. Very cruiser. An alternative can be found at Home Depot. Yep, if you want to look like the high price crowd, just cut off the fingertips....

2 Hulls Dave

[hellosailor]

fishbait-
Don't tell anyone, but the best sailing gloves were sold by Mystic Seaport Museum in the 1980's and then taken off the market.


Fortunately, you can still buy the same thing without the "sailing" tag. They are yellow (native color) Kevlar woven gloves, often with black grippy dots on the palm and fingers. If you want half-fingers, you cut off the fingertips and the edges don't unravel badly. (Sharp scissor, patience.)


They are sold online and in the hardware stores as "trash handling" "recycling" and "broken glass" glass because they are pretty much cut-proof. That also means friction proof, you can ease and haul lines all day without any friction burns. Kevlar shrinks slightly when wet, then expands back as it dries. Slightly.


They really do last forever, they're not expensive, and there's no stitching to come apart. What else can you ask for?


Available in sizes, unisex, and cheaper by the dozen online. Great for guests, for scaling fish, for working on hot engine parts (Kevlar! insulates perfectly when dry) or as oven gloves, too.

[fishbait58]

Hellosailor and 2Hulls- thank you for the good ideas. Going to give it a try.


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[Terra Nova]

The best sailing gloves I've ever used are the Harken Black Magic. Try them in the store. put a Black Magic on one hand, and any other glove on the other. Grab a length of rope and pull. The Harken's grip so much much better that you can easily pull the line through the other gloved hand.

Good for fishing, too.

[MarkSF]

I've had West Marine and Harken. Neither lasted long. In fact, the Harkens fell apart in no time. Seems like a lot of other people have had the same experience. After a bit of research, I bought a pair of Ronstans. They are holding up nicely. They have already lasted twice as long as the others.

These are the ones I mean :

http://www.ronstan.com/marine/produc...rodNo=RF4850XS

For warm weather I favour half fingered gloves.

[Terra Nova]

My Harken's lasted through years of racing.

[OldFrog75]

I have tried Harken, West Marine, and Ronstan. My sailing is about 50/50 racing vs. cruising and I have found Ronstan to be the most durable. For whatever reason I get a lot of wear on the lower palm so I need as much of the palm area to be rubberized as possible because the cloth areas tend to wear down and disentigrate very quickly.

I've never paid up for Gil because I don't expect a glove to last longer than one season no matter how much they cost.

I've used both 3/4 finger and full finger. I prefer full finger:

RONSTAN Sticky Race Gloves, 2XS | West Marine

[hellosailor]

Mark-
You've GOT to try knitted Kevlar. Those babies can friction stop a diesel powered grinding wheel, and show no friction burns.

[Livia]

For cruising, we really prefer climbing gloves:

The Best Sailing Gloves We’ve Owned Aren’t ~ SV Estrellita 5.10b

Maybe you want thinner if you are racing

[silversailor]

Menards sells a 1/2 finger glove for about $6! Can't wear them out. And if you do, it's only $6. I bought 3 pair initially expecting they would last 1-2 mos. Except for some unraveling at the edge of the fingers (solved with an open flame) still using the first pair 2 seasons latter.

[CaptainBW]

I also like the Ronstan. Last better than West Marine.


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[Greenhand]

I have had a pair of Ronstan 3/4 gloves for several seasons, mostly used for a sloop rigged pocket cruiser, without winches. I bought a pair of West Marine full fingered gloves just over a year ago. I have been out a few times in the dinghy and several times in the larger boat. The leather fingertips are quite worn already, with one just about to become a 3/4 with a leather flap.