Summer is here (finally!) and it’s time to get your baseball glove out. Will you buy a new one this year or try to repair the one you have?
Here are a few tips for purchasing a new glove.
If you want to replace the steer hide glove your dad bought you with a plastic one, be ready for Dad to shutter at the thought! And be careful if it’s cheap, light, and “broken in” – it’s likely made from a canvas material covered in plastic laminate. After just one season, the heat may delaminate the plastic. Look for the words “top grain leather” for your best glove.
Now what about that beloved glove you can’t bear to part with?
We have been repairing and re-lacing ball gloves for years! A dying art but very satisfying as the results are dramatic. After seeing their improved glove, many clients don’t believe it’s the same one!
Fun fact: each glove is unique! And each leather strand has a job to do. There are hundreds of different lace patterns for ball gloves. And no, you will not find them in a book, but at Done Right – we understand how the patterns are supposed to work.
So when you bring in your glove, we start by determining if it is worth fixing. Sometimes, the answer is no. If your glove is torn close to a major joint at the fingers – it is on its way out. So we strive to be as honest as we can.
Here are some tips for a lasting glove.
- Put a ball in your glove before your store it for the off-season. Keep it in a cool, moist spot like your garage!
- Wrap it in netted wire safe from the dog that thinks it’s a chew toy.
- Don’t over oil your glove. The new leather gloves do not need liquid oil. Ever. A bull or steer hide glove will need oil to help break it in. Forget about the fancy bottle of oil, microwave or motor oil fads! Processed mink oil works best. Very easy to control how much you apply. Wipe your glove down with a damp cloth then apply a light coat. Make sure you work it into the finger joints. And keep it light- too much oil makes the dirt stick. The dirt then cuts the sewing machine stitches.
When repairing your glove, we use the best leather lace available.
Starting with the broken or weak strands, we cut out the old lace. The lace is then hand picked for the proper area. It’s important to pick the proper lace because it is responsible for filling up the size of the hole in the glove. It must be routed properly to support the given area. And if the pattern is laced incorrectly, the glove will rip at the unsupported spot.
Remember, laces have a very important job to do and must be fixed correctly!
From complete re-lacing to new Velcro on the strap, remodeling the pocket, or mending the inside we have the skills to revive that much-loved glove.
Stop in the shop and let’s get your glove ready for its best season yet!
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