High Quality Gloves

[dad_3420]

My son is 12 and and has played with a used Nokona 11" AMG I believe. He plays a varity of positons but mostly pitches or 3rd. I have seen the post on the Rawlings glove $400 Itlian leather, and have seen the new Bloodline from Nokona. Any input on either glove I want to go either 11 1/2" or 11 1/4". I want this glove to be the one he uses through high school so that is why I am willing to spend the money.

Please some replys

[kelleyathletic]

Don't get fooled by the price. I work in this industry and know the games that a lot of these companies play - they do it with bats all the time and now you're seeing it in gloves. The Rawlings $400 glove is quite simply just a marketing piece. Italian leather really doesn't mean a whole lot - especially when you add dirt, impact and sweat. But, people will also buy it because it is the most expensive - status quo or something like that. If you're looking for a glove to last a while - Nokona doesn't really have the track record for that - they have historically fealt great at first but have broken down very quickly.

The main thing you need to look at is the leather used, the weight you want (the Rawlings Primo is very heavy - people have knocked it for that) and how much you want to break it in. For example, our most expensive glove is not the one that will last the longest. In fact, it's not even our 2nd most expensive glove that will last the longest. Simply put - many people are now paying to have high-end pre-softened gloves. Not too many people want to have to work too hard to break in gloves these days. Now, on the other hand, our Elevation Series, which uses a combination of Steerhide and Calf-skin, takes about 3 weeks to get broken in - it will last years.

I'm not trying to get you to buy our gloves - just showing how price is not always the indicator. While my company doesn't play the marketing games - be aware that the biggest manufacturers play a lot of marketing games. We've been in the industry for a long time - we used to be baffled by what they put out there - now we're pretty much used to it. Make sure you do your homework.

[ACEMAN]

Nokona's all the way. American made. They last FOREVER! Great price too. Some are rough to break in. I don't bake them or use anything special. They make Nokona NLT glove conditioner. It is basically vaseline. Best stuff I've ever used. I'd recommend an 11 1/2, that's my personal preference. I was a utility guy in high school so I liked a utility size glove. I used a 12 for everything. Not many would agree but it worked fine for me. Go with the Nokona, you will be glad you did!

[dad_3420]

What an amazing glove: the leather, the feel, and the weight seem perfect. I'll have to report back on durability. I got him an 11.5" modified trap.

[TFischer15260]

My experience with gloves is Akadema makes a superior product designed for the Pros. Used by a number of MLB players including Manny Ramierz. They are not overpriced either. A good site is www.fireflybaseball.com. hope this helps..

[barras15]

Most of the people I know that own Primo's do admire them for the craftsmanship and say how beautiful of a glove they are but don't actually use them much. Matter of fact I have yet to even see a pro player using one. Personally I have always been partial to the Wilson A2000 series of gloves. They have always broken in nicely and been the most comfortable for my hand.

[dpwls]

Oi! Ok, as some have already said... do not be driven by price. It is not the only indicator of a high quality glove.

I used to be a Rawlings ONLY guy, but over time I tried several different brands and found that several were comparable to the quality of the top of the line Rawlings but MUCH more reasonably priced. I still believe there's no better glove on the market than the Rawlings top of the line models, however I now use Easton pro gloves and Louisville TPX pro gloves and I'm just as happy as I ever was with any of my Rawlings gloves. The best part is they cost me a fraction of the price.

The most important things to consider (in my book) are fit, weight and durability. Some here have posted that Nokona's are great, and they do make some fine gloves. I've found that I don't prefer them because they tend to be a bit heavy, generally speaking. I also have an Akadema glove, but I'm not as happy with the artificial materials they use to keep the weight down in some of their gloves. The best gloves for my money have the thickest leather, thickest lacing, and highest quality piping (edges) without being heavy. Check the way the laces stretch the holes in the leather... that will give you an indication of how thick and sturdy the leather will be. Don't waste your money on a glove with thin "pre-softened" or "pre-oiled" leather... those are garbage and won't last through a single season. Generally speaking... "hard as a rock" is your best bet. It's tougher to break in, but will last much longer. Also, piping is a big deal. Make sure it's high quality leather, not artificial. Cheaper gloves will skimp on this, and it will dramatically shorten the life of your glove, as the piping wears out the quickest.

I would say, turn your "price tag" antennae off and go to a few sporting goods stores and try on several gloves for fit. Only choose gloves that match your criteria for quality materials as I've listed above. If you end up with something super-expensive and you're willing to spend the money, fine... but you might find (as I did) that you're just as happy, if not happier with a much less expensive glove.

I found my Easton gloves (E-pro5 and E-pro 81) on ebay several years back for under $60 each (retail about $160). They are comparable in every way to the Rawlings Pro-preferred kip leather gloves, but were much less in demand at the time, so I got 'em cheap. The whole Easton glove line is pretty crappy... but the Pro line is great - similar to Rawlings... not very good til you get to the HOH and Pro-preferred lines.

The glove I use most is my TPX pro 11.5" glove. The leather is super-thick and it just feels great. I got it on ebay for under $50 (retail about $150).

I settled on these brands for one thing because the finger stall sizes were comfortable. I wear the glove with my pinky and ring finger together in the last stall, and not all gloves have big enough finger stalls to accommodate that very well. Now that I've found high quality gloves with the fit I prefer, I'm a happy camper. I doubt I'll ever need a new glove (though there's a good chance I'll buy a few more anyway!).

[Union-LL-AA-Dad]

Any comments on the Reebok gloves? I've seen some MLB players using them. What about blemished Wilson A2K gloves. There are some blemished A2K's (heavy oil stains) selling new for $140 range. I'm looking for something decent (probably 11.5" or 11.75") for infield use, for less than $150.

[bignick]

Now I'm not saying that the kelleyathletic guy is wrong, but i have a first basemen's mitt, elevation series, and it has got to be the absolute worst glove I've ever seen. The laces broke within a month (web literally broke), the glove was hard as a rock for 6 months, and the piping was low quality. It never reached good playing condition. I replaced it with a wilson A2K, and the A2K was incredible. In my opinion, the best glove out there.

I would choose a glove from a company that is proven, and you see professionals use, there's a reason they use them. Rawlings, Wilson, TPX pro's are great.

If your son likes the feel of the nokona, then go with the bloodline, nokona's are great gloves that last forever, and made in the USA!

Just my thoughts, good luck!

[dad_3420]

I went with the bloodline it took most of the spring to break-in, I used some Obenauf's Leather care product and good old fashioned patience.

He exclusively used this glove from about June on and loves it, we went w/ a 11.5" and the holes for the laces seem to show some thinner leather but I will keep mt eye on it. I did buy the glove off E-Bay so hopefully it wasn't a blem. so far so good.

[TGC]

Kelley Athletic is right about doing your homework in selecting a glove. Getting a heavier, thicker leather glove will generally result in a longer lasting glove depending on the tanning process and your use.
Kelley, I believe, uses a heavier 5 oz. leather for its gloves, which helps with longer wear. There is a tradeoff for the player who doesn't prefer a heavier glove.
On Nokonas. I've worked with the company nearly 35 years. I'm using a Nokona AMG400K Kangaroo which I've used for softball for nearly 15 years. Yes, it's been re-lcaced and reconditioned several times but it still works for about 60 games a year. I would disagree that Nokona gloves break down fast. The company has generally used softer leathers which tend to break down under use but not necessarily rapidly.
The company still makes its gloves in Nocona Texas where it has since 1934 and they know a few things about ball gloves. They are not part of the Nocona Boot Company but now reside in the abandoned Nocona Boot Company facilities since Nocona Athletic plant burned down in 2006.
I've used the Kelley gloves and like the feel, quality and long wear. I've used Nocona's gloves since the 1970s. I've sold more than 3,000 gloves and I always apply the "three bears" approach: "too soft, too hard and just right." The harder leather type are harder to break in but will "generally" give you longer wear. Heavier leather will "generally" give you longer wear, but there are tradeoffs, (1) "harder to break in (2) heavier glove but that is a preference issue.
This the 60th year for me for organized ball of some type. Breaking in a Nokona Buffalo leather glove. Take care of your glove with cleaning, conditioning and storage.