Types of leather used in baseball gloves and their characteristics
Good evening!
This is Par-nii, your Amazing Baseball Partner!
This time we'll talk about glove leather.
Well, that's enough of a preview!
Let's go!!!
table of contents
- Types of glove leather
- What is a tanner?
- Tell me your favorite leather!
- How to maintain leather
1. Types of glove leather
First, I would like to explain the different types of leather used in gloves!
First of all, do you know what kind of animal leather gloves are made from?
The correct answer is cowhide .
Generally, gloves that are on the market are made from cowhide leather.
(It's not just about eating.)
The interesting thing about leather is that even if it is simply cowhide, the quality can vary greatly depending on the place of birth, the age of the cow, the breed, and the processing factory.
Below we will summarize the points you should keep in mind when choosing gloves, so if you are interested, please read on.
The characteristics of the beef vary greatly depending on whether it is imported or domestically produced.
It is classified as L steer leather (adult cow) and kip leather (calf).
The texture of the leather varies greatly depending on the tanning factory, known as L Tanner.
I have roughly classified them, but the types are classified more finely,
There are many types of leather in this world. There is something romantic about gloves made from leather that has different characteristics.
I also realized once again how amazing it is that craftsmen make gloves while understanding the characteristics of each type of leather.
▼Click here to hear the glove craftsman's story
https://shop.amazing-baseball.com/blogs/news/kamitake
2.What is a tanner?
I mentioned this briefly when I was talking about the types of cowhide earlier, but
Do you know what a tannery is?
When turning an animal's skin into leather, the skin needs to go through a process called "tanning."
(※The leather used in the gloves is machine tanned.)
Tanning is the process of turning animal hides into leather. This process is done to protect the hide from decay, make it more durable, and give it flexibility and color. There are several main types of tanning:
- Principle : The hides are tanned using tannins extracted from plants.
- Characteristics : The leather is relatively hard and has a natural color. It will age uniquely over time.
- Usage : Used for belts, shoes, wallets, luxury bags, etc.
- Principle : Chromium salts are used to tan the hides.
- Features : The leather is soft, stretchy and water resistant. Suitable for mass production.
- Usage : Used in many modern shoes, jackets, gloves, sofas, etc.
- Principle : The hides are tanned using aluminum salts.
- Characteristics : Soft, whitish leather.
- Uses : Mainly done with calfskin, used for high-quality shoes and accessories.
- Principle : Hides are tanned using animal fats or fish oils.
- Features : The leather is extremely soft and water repellent.
- Uses : Used for outdoor equipment, work boots, etc.
- Principle : Use minerals other than tannins (e.g. zirconium).
- Characteristics : The resulting leather has unique properties.
- Uses : Used for special purposes.
- Principle : Synthetic tannins and other chemicals are used.
- Features : Leather with a variety of characteristics can be obtained, and costs can be kept low.
- Applications : Widely used in a variety of products.
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Durability : Tanning makes the leather long-lasting and able to withstand regular use.
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Workability : Tanning softens the leather, making it easier to sew and shape.
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Aesthetics : Tanning enhances the color and texture of the leather, giving it a beautiful appearance.
As mentioned above, tanning methods are selected according to the product to be used.
The gloves are chrome tanned,
It is said that advanced tanning techniques are required to make a product that is comfortable in the hand and durable.
3. What leather do you recommend?
From here on, it's all going to be a completely personal opinion.
If you don't like it, please turn around d(￣ ￣)
First of all, I personally like structured leather.
I prefer gloves with a crisp surface that softens and conforms to the areas I want to move the more I use them.
Taking that preference into account, the leather that is relatively easy to obtain in the market today is
I prefer steer leather tanned at Urakami Tannery .
This leather is commonly known as "Urakami Leather," and recently an increasing number of professional baseball players have started using it.
The reason for its popularity is that it is not just hard, but also flexible and soft in the desired areas, fitting comfortably in your bare hand.
Although at first glance it gives the impression of being crisp and hard, I personally feel that it is a leather with two sides to it, with some people saying, "Wow, that one is really soft Σ('◉⌓◉')".
Urakami Leather is recommended for the following people!
- People who like gloves with a good balance
- People who want their gloves to last longer
- People who want a durable glove
- People who want high-quality leather gloves like those used by professional baseball players
By the way, there was a time not long ago when "kid leather" tanned by a certain tannery was all the rage among professional baseball players, and manufacturers had a very hard time getting their hands on that leather.
This Urakami leather is a glove leather that also has that potential.
There are many other types of leather I would like to tell you about, but it would take too long to explain.
If you really want to hear it, please send me a DM on Instagram 🤣
About gloves made with Urakami leather
The Amazing glove that I am involved in developing is of course made using "Urakami Leather".
Why Urakami Leather? No need to go into detail now, right?
Needless to say, it's because I love it!!!
(Minoruman also loves "Urakami Leather")
▼Amazing glove (hardball glove) made with Urakami leather
https://shop.amazing-baseball.com/pages/amazingglove2
4. Leather maintenance methods
Finally, how to maintain glove leather.
This is very important so please listen carefully.
But it's really that easy.
After all,
It's as simple as "remove dirt → moisturize".
If you thought it was the same as human skin...
Yes, it's the same.
(I told you, the leather of the gloves is also animal skin.)
When I get back from practice,
Take the gloves out of your bag and first use a brush to remove any dirt from the surface.
(If there is stubborn dirt or oil, use a cleaner.)
Next, drying.
Since I wear gloves all day, they get soaked with sweat from my hands.
Moisture is the worst enemy of leather, so be sure to dry it thoroughly in a well-ventilated place.
And finally, if your glove feels dry , apply a little oil.
A really small amount is fine. Glove leather has natural oils in it, so you just need to apply a thin layer to the surface to prevent abrasion.
I often see high school students wearing gloves that are sticky and heavy.
Most gloves that become heavy are caused by not drying the gloves after use when they have accumulated sweat and moisture, but instead smearing oil on them and clogging the pores in the leather.
First of all, drying is important.
By the way, Par-san doesn't like oily gloves and likes to feel the texture of the leather as it grows.
(Wipe with water → Wipe dry → Add oil occasionally)
It goes through this cycle.
This may be a little difficult for high school students who use the equipment on dirt fields every day, but we recommend that you have the courage to not apply too much oil.
By the way, Amazing is currently developing glove oil. Please be sure to use it when it is completed!
That's all for today.
See you in the next article!!!
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▼HEAD RUN BAT
https://shop.amazing-baseball.com/products/head-run-bat-common
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https://shop.amazing-baseball.com/pages/amazingglove2
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