What Are Leather Gloves?
Ladies Gloves 1920
Gloves are used to cover the hand with openings for each finger and thumb in most cases, but you can get gloves where there are no fingers, and these are called mittens or an opening for each finger these are called fingerless gloves.
During the 13th century ladies started to wear gloves as a fashion item in the 13th century they were made of silk or linen and were decorated with beads and jewels.
Gloves were worn as a statement of wealth, as time progressed leather gloves were introduced and worn more frequently, not just as a fashion item, but as a means of keeping hands warm and protected against work.
But gloves are believed to have been around since man began, humans have been sewing by hand for over 23,000 years.
The oldest known gloves to exist are the linen gloves of King Tutankhamun between 1341 BC – 1223 BC which is 7000 years after the end of the Stone Age.
The Worshipful Glovers company of London, a guild that existed well before 1349.
King Tutankhamun
It’s said gloves were worn as a status symbol by ladies and to protect their hands.
Medieval Gloves
There are many types of different glove styles, from dress gloves, to gardening gloves, cycle gloves, to motorbike gloves, boxing gloves to grip gloves, gauntlets, driving gloves and many more.
Gloves are not just leather, they can be fabric, leather or plastic.
Most leather gloves are made from lamb leather, kid skin, goat skin, these can come in different types of leather styles like suede, pigmented leather, nubuck leather, pig skin and semi aniline leather.
Gloves Made from calf skin and kid skin are regarded as some of the finest quality gloves around.
Leather gloves are very fine quality top grain leather is used in all cases of semi aniline and pigmented coated gloves, motorcycle gloves are made of kangaroo leather to give strength and durability to motorcycle riders, as the kangaroo leather has a natural strong fibre structure that’s also very tear and scuff resistant.
Motorbike Sheep Gloves
Gloves require care and cleaning on a regular basis to avoid dirt, grime and sweat breaking the gloves down and causing them to deteriorate and lose colour.
Men’s Leather Gloves
Most leather gloves require a delicate leather cleaner to maintain them, it’s best advised to use a luxury leather cleaner or an aniline leather cleaner.
Gloves require protection to help keep them waterproofed at all times, a protection cream is best applied to keep them soft and supple.
Quality leather gloves are not a cheap item to buy, the average cost of a pair of quality gloves is around £65, but gloves can cost a great deal more and designer brands can be hundreds of pounds. The worlds most expensive glove cost $420,000 this was sold at auction and belonged to Michael Jackson.
Pittards in the U.K who are based in Yeovil, Somerset are known around the world for producing the finest gloves made from leather.