Work Gloves and RM

[BorderReiver]

Just seen RM's canoe building programme.I enjoyed it but was a bit puzzled that someone with Ray's experience would let his hands get into such a mess.

One of the first things we learn is to look after our tools so that they don't let us down when we need them;this surely applies to our hands as well.If your hands are too roughed up to use when out in remote areas then you could be in real trouble

Why did he not wear a pair of good leather work gloves I wonder?

[Tony]

I hate wearing gloves when I'm making something, I like to be able to feel what I'm doing, I like to have my hands in contact with the object. I used to be a cabinet maker and carpenter and you often just feel that something is right....

But hey, that's just me

[Wayne]

I'm not keen on wearing gloves when using tools. I can never find gloves to fit properly with my short dumpy fingers.

Your hands soon toughen up.

[BorderReiver]

I hate wearing gloves when I'm making something, I like to be able to feel what I'm doing
But hey, that's just me

Me too funnily enough,but there was a LOT of rough work to get through and he could have saved his hands a fair bit before getting to the "finer" work.

[Toddy]

I use my hands constantly, and depending on what I'm doing I use gloves. My hands are too importantly useful not to take enough care of them that I limit the amount of little injuries that cause splinters, hacks, nippy wee cuts and torn quicks.
I use high quality, tough, but properly fitting leather ones for tree work, pruning willow, coppicing oak, taking off bark, etc., and rubber palmed ones for dealing with nettles when processing them for fibre. Gardening, I usually forget and then sooo wish I hadn't. I'm laying slabs just now & I'm wearing gloves (well, I'm actually on a coffee break with a bit of fly cemetery with icing, even!) It's not being a wimp, or not being fully aware of your materials, it's just practical. I wouldn't walk barefoot *everywhere*, & I don't expect my hands to effectively do the same.

Cheers,
Toddy

[Moonraker]

Me too funnily enough,but there was a LOT of rough work to get through and he could have saved his hands a fair bit before getting to the "finer" work.

I agree BR. I use leather work gloves for coppicing etc. especially when using sharp edged tools like a bill hook to save on the blisters and also for added safety. Not just from the blade but thorns etc. I got blood poisoning once from a hawthorn spike and it was very unpleasant.

Also for moving stuff around the fire like hot billy can handles, metal grill and pans etc. For finer work like whittling I agree that you need the finer touch though.

A lot depends if your hands have decent callousing and get rough use or only see 'real action' at weekends

[ScanDgrind]

I may be mistaken and have gotten hold of completely the wrong end of the shick so to speak but, I thought that Ray's hands were bothering him due to cramp and muscle fatigue, not nicks, scratches, cuts and blisters. Of course I may be mistaken, it has occassionaly happend before .

Cheers,

Tony

[MartiniDave]

I often use ONE glove, on my work holding hand. I quite simply can't feel comfortable using an axe, billhook or machette in a gloved hand. If carving something shorter, like maybe a kuksa, the leather workglove can really save the hand from lots of little nicks and cuts.

Dave

[BorderReiver]

I may be mistaken and have gotten hold of completely the wrong end of the shick so to speak but, I thought that Ray's hands were bothering him due to cramp and muscle fatigue, not nicks, scratches, cuts and blisters. Of course I may be mistaken, it has occassionaly happend before .

Cheers,

Tony

You're right Tony about the cramp and stiffness,but he also had cracks and blisters.

[Rod]

I often use ONE glove, on my work holding hand. I quite simply can't feel comfortable using an axe, billhook or machette in a gloved hand. If carving something shorter, like maybe a kuksa, the leather workglove can really save the hand from lots of little nicks and cuts.

Dave

I was always taught by my Dad to wear gloves when working with cutting tools; (as a kid I had to split and stack all the firewood my Dad & I gathered for our heating system) and this has saved alot on blisters, nicks and cuts. Although my holding hand does look like a bit of a war-zone in places - so much for taking good advice. I have however found it really useful when gathering firewood and larger materials for shelter building to wear a pair of gloves

I would echo MD's comments about using just one on your holding hand as its not always the most comfortable when shaping something with an axe. I haven't done a lot of carving (yet), but have always tended to work without gloves in the past, like Tony I have done some furniture making in my past.

[Buckshot]

I use kevlar gloves with a rubber outer when I'm cutting or clearing stuff. They're graded at 5 protection for cutting and stabs. I believe that's pretty good. Only cost a few quid as well.

When I'm dealing with deer I wear blue surgical gloves over protective ones made of steel wire woven together. If I'm waving a knife around and my hands are slippery then I want to be protected.

I agree with Toddy, my hands are too important not to look after them.

Cheers

Mark

[arctic hobo]

I find that if doing heavier work gloves give me the confidence to go a bit harder, rather than dancing around trying to save myself from blisters and cuts.

[Toddy]

[QUOTE=Buckshot]I use kevlar gloves with a rubber outer when I'm cutting or clearing stuff. They're graded at 5 protection for cutting and stabs. I believe that's pretty good. Only cost a few quid as well.


Where did you find kevlar gloves? They sound like just the business, 'specially when using things like billhooks. Wonder if they come in very small?

Cheers,
Toddy

[RovingArcher]

Even when working as an ironworker placing reinforcing steel, I rarely wore gloves and these days I only wear gloves when handling materials that could be contaminated with poison oak . I suppose it all comes from having a father that taught me that my hands can't feel life while wearing gloves, the same as your feet can't feel the Earth, while wearing shoes.

[Buckshot]

Where did you find kevlar gloves? They sound like just the business, 'specially when using things like billhooks. Wonder if they come in very small?

Cheers,
Toddy

I got them from a website, good service and all. Even gave me a free pair of kevlar only gloves.
I'm sure I've kept the address somewhere, I'll dig it out tonight if I can.

Cheers

Mark

[PC2K]

i always try to wear gloves wenn i'm doing things that might hurt my hands. I have some skin problems, so my hands are quite sencitive for damaging.

[Marts]

Hi
I've used kevlar gloves before too. One supplier is PROTEC although they do them in packs of ten. They also do plain kevlar for a few pounds a pair.

[shinobi]

I often use ONE glove, on my work holding hand. I quite simply can't feel comfortable using an axe, billhook or machette in a gloved hand.

This is the method I've always been taught when using hacking and slashing tools such as billhooks and slashers. If you wear a glove on the handle there is a chance that your hand will slide out of the glove or the glove itself will slide along the handle causing obvious dangers with flying blades. But the gloved hand is proected from splinters, nicks, cuts, etc.
This is not as necessary when using a blade to carve and slice but i still prefer to feel skin on my handle. my sense of touch is a lot better at telling me when things don't feel right.

Cheers,
Martin

[Toddy]

Hi
I've used kevlar gloves before too. One supplier is PROTEC although they do them in packs of ten. They also do plain kevlar for a few pounds a pair.

Thanks for the link. I wish they did smaller though. I need a size 6 though a 7 would do.

Cheers,
Toddy

[Toddy]

This is the method I've always been taught when using hacking and slashing tools such as billhooks and slashers. If you wear a glove on the handle there is a chance that your hand will slide out of the glove or the glove itself will slide along the handle causing obvious dangers with flying blades. But the gloved hand is proected from splinters, nicks, cuts, etc.
This is not as necessary when using a blade to carve and slice but i still prefer to feel skin on my handle. my sense of touch is a lot better at telling me when things don't feel right.

Cheers,
Martin

Very practical. My only problem with it is that I still develop blisters when using an unfamiliar tool for a while without gloves. Badly fitting work gloves are worse than useless I find; most gardening ones come with no fourchettes between the smaller fingers, the gussets are too short and create blisters themselves.

Cheers,
Toddy

[Marts]

Thanks for the link. I wish they did smaller though. I need a size 6 though a 7 would do.

Here you go then! GREENHAM

[Snufkin]

I wear gloves sometimes when lugging wood about or working with blackthorn but absolutely NEVER wear a glove when I am using a cutting tool. I'll sometimes use a glove on my off hand but not my tool hand.

[Toddy]

Here you go then! GREENHAM

Brilliant, there's one of their depots about a Km away too. Thank you

Cheers,
Toddy

[Buckshot]

I can't find the details at the moment.
I'll keep looking...

The others posts give you a few options anyway

Cheers

Mark