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Types Of Leather For Motorcycle Gloves?

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New leatherworker here. Watch bands and belts so far…this forum has been a huge help, thank you all.



I want to move into making gloves. I'll start simple but the eventual goal is to make my own motorcycle road racing gloves. I want to start the conversation now, though, so I can practice with the materials and techniques I'll want to use. I'll get into targeted issues in other threads, but first...



What kind of leather is best for motorcycle gloves? Which tannage, from what animal? Maybe it's not even a single kind but a combination of different leathers.



Here are the preferred characteristics:


- High abrasion resistance


- High strength


- Reasonable to excellent flex throughout


- Thin enough to provide good tactile feel in the palm/fingers



The "accepted wisdom" is that Kangaroo (chrome tanned) is the best leather for motorcycle protective gear -- high strength and abrasion resistance allow thinner leather to be used, which in turn gives good tactile feel and reduces weight/warmth of the glove.



I've found much of the "accepted wisdom" surrounding motorcycle safety gear to be bogus, however, so I'm not just going to assume that this is the answer. At least one respected designer claims that Deer and Elk are superior for the purpose. Mightn't deer be too stretchy, though? Or what about Bison as an alternative to good ole Cow?



And is there any mileage to using veg-tan? I've heard conflicting statements that veg-tan is stronger (no, chrome-tan is stronger! no it isn't! etc.). But even if it is stronger, could it ever be flexible enough for a glove?



And then there's Stingray…



But no, I won't even go there yet. Any thoughts on this so far? All ideas welcome, whether sage or science fiction.


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will there be hard plastic placed in the knuckles and wrist for protection? Less protection is probably needed on the palms although in an emergency situation I'm not certain if you would use your palm or not.. maybe your finger tips, thumb and lower palm. If its not for safety and comfort only then something soft and durable would be my choice.

Another point is whether or not you want padding to keep your wrist rigid in a fall and if that makes it more comfortable to keep your wrists in that locked position while you pull the throttle. Almost like how MMA fighting gloves are designed to keep your hand in a clenched position so its easier to fight with.

Lambskin is apparently stronger than cowhide... plus many gloves are lambskin

Do share pictures of the gloves, I'm interested in the finished product.

Edited by DavidL

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As with so many issues there is rarely one item that is the best. It's all in the eye of the beholder. Generally speaking the leather that is used will be what is called garment leather, regardless of what animal the origin might be. This is referred to in the way the tannery has produced the skin to be supple (and it will most certainly be some kind of chrome tanning).

It also depends on what you are after. A glove with a lot of man made material, plastic knuckles, Kevlar etc. can get away with lamb skin. A period WWII all leather glove might better be done in horse leather. And not to sound too harsh, but you're probably better off going to your local MC shop and talk to the people there about their preferences. Second, you should go to a reputable leather only supplier (not Tandy..) to tell them what you're after and they will help you, that's why they exist. Also online there are so many MC forums. Do your research.

While this forum is great, one need to remember that it is mostly enthusiasts and hobbyist that lurk here, so specialist questions, especially those that harbor to the professional side or manufacture/business side seems to be better answered elsewhere. Actually, I wondered for a long time why so few of all those thousands of leather workers that work for all the big brands in fashion or upholstery or interior never go to sites like this. Maybe because a lot of them either just see it as a job or they are like the tattooist - everyone has to learn the hard way. The one constant exception seems to be people working in the saddle business. Maybe Cowboys are more laid back...

Edited by ConradPark

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DavidL…



There will most likely be some kind of hard and soft padding/armor used. The wrist will not be rigid but protection in the gauntlet will be something to focus on. I'll get into design and construction in a later thread, for now I'm just wondering about materials.



If lambskin is stronger than cow that could be really interesting, I hadn't heard that before. I know that goat is inferior, though often used.



I will definitely share pictures but it will be some time before I can even tackle this project. I'll start by making some basic gloves using the same materials. Stay tuned.



ConradPark…



The problem with going to my local (or even far flung) motorcycle shop and asking questions is that I know far more than they do. That's not because I'm some genius but rather because they don't know anything about moto safety gear that isn't marketing-speak fed to them by manufacturers.



And as for those manufacturers…I'm reasonably certain most of them are not tackling this problem correctly but rather following the herd. For example:



Many if not most high-end race gloves use Kevlar stitching. From what I now know about leatherwork, this is a really terrible idea -- Kevlar thread will cut through leather like butter. I have seen this happen over time on some gloves I own. Other glove makers also use bonded nylon thread, which I've watched cut leather with my own eyes while hand stitching.



So why do they do it? Because saying "Kevlar" sells your product. So does saying "Carbon Fiber", which is why a lot of hard knuckle protection is carbon. The trouble is carbon fiber is very brittle, so when you crash it tends to break and the shards stab right into your hands. No kidding.



What I'm hoping to find here are not professional glove makers, but people who know leather intimately. Because frankly, the pros have other considerations besides using the materials best suited for the job.



So why do you say horse leather, Conrad? I'm not very familiar with the characteristics of horse.


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A lot of European military clothing including gloves was not rarely made of horse leather up to the 50s. Not saying that Horse Leather is the best, but it does have some advantages over cow/steer hide as it is more abrasion resistant. However, not many tanneries do it anymore and Horween in the USA are probably the most known. Remember that there are many different variations of horse leather and what you'll need is the garment horse leather (horse front), not the shell or strip.
However, there are many high quality cow hides from other tanneries today, thanks to modern techniques, that gives exceptional properties too. In the end, it's in the eye of the beholder.
There are specialist leather suppliers that only do leather for the automotive industry so they are flame retardant, doesn't crack in frost etc.

Anyway, seems like you know what you don't want so good luck.

Edited by ConradPark

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Buffalo and lambskin are the widespread materials used in biking gloves. While lambskin provide supple comfort and elasticity for the wearer especially when lined can also be equally practicale to wear and tear. On the other hand buffalo often provides protection at the cost of flexibility. However, this also widely depend on the tanner and the manufacturer to create product that feel and work equally well. Refer specialist manufacturers when making your purchase to get the best possible product.

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I read your topic and without reading anything thought kangaroo first, goat second. I would practice first. I would find something on sale till I got the fit and sizing right, then step up and buy good leather as the final product. It will probably take a few tries to get things perfect.

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I can help you source soft lambskin used for making high quality fashion gloves from India, this type of leather is specially made for manufacturing gloves which has a waxy feel, high strength and with good elasticity. What quantity in sqft are you looking at??

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