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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.

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.