Joel OF Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Try not to laugh, but... Would any left handers be interested in sending me their unwanted left handed gloves if I (a right hander) sent you my unwanted right handed ones? I go through left handed gloves at a rate of about 5:1 over right handed gloves - that cost mounts up. I propose we buy a box of identical gloves from somewhere like Screwfix, you take out the left handed ones and them to me, and I do the same with the right handed gloves. Even with the postage factored in we'd still be saving a fair whack. Yeah yeah I know, very sad, but money's money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I'm sure someone will post the info or link soon but I believe one of the smithing suppliers is selling gloves in left or right batches. I know I have quite a few pretty new looking right hand gloves unless I need a whole pair of course. <sigh> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Good luck with this. We did try similar in early days in BABA. Although I am left handed and left eyed I hold my hammer right handed. So I still want left hand gloves when I am hand forging. I did not find a leftie willing to share despite the high number of left handed dyslexic smiths around. Mostly it was because they had right handed assistants working with them I think. I am on the power hammer most of the time now so I use and wear out both equally. I had a good relationship with a safety supplies place, I thought, and when I enquired about the left hand only gloves they said sure, and priced it the same as a pair. :( They did not charge anything for opening the box removing the right hand gloves and disposing of them which was terribly decent of them I thought! Hector Cole used to sell left hand only, but they were about the same price as a pair from machine mart or similar. If you can find a left handed smith handy to you (sorry!) all well and good. The best that I have come up with is to buy the ambidextrous welding gauntlets and there is no waste then. The disadvantage is that they are not double palmed thickness, the advantage is that they are less stiff and more flexible/sensitive. Although they are ambidextrous when new, by the time they have been wrapped around a few bits of hot metal they tend to go into a bit of a claw and become handed. Try a pair and see how you get on. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I like using the Kevlar gloves and they tend to be ambidextrous so I use, lefts for hand forging and using struck tools, and both when running the power hammer... I also like the Kevlar sleeves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 in the early 80's the was a industrial supply store in town run by a gentleman that sometimes could not see the forest for the trees. One day I walked in while he was doing inventory on welding glove and got a 5 minute lecture on how stupid the welders around Victoria county were, seams they couldn't figure out that gloves come in pairs and kept walking out with 2 left gloves leaving him with a over abundance of right gloves he couldn't do anything with! I think I managed to keep a straight face for the rest of the conversation. RWD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I know a lefty smith who will be teaching a class this weekend that I am attending, ill check and see what his glove situation is. but methinks shipping to and from CA is going to torpedo the exercise, unless you are willing to wait several months until I can ferry them into and out of Europe personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 I need a masochistic seasmstress to alter right handed gloves into left handed ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I wonder if you could find a brand that could be turned inside out on the right hand to 'create' a sufficiently left handed glove? the seams would be a mess of course, but if you are chewing them up that quickly I doubt looking nice is very far up the list of requirements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Have you considered the old fashioned "Blacksmiths glove" one off suits right or left hand, fits all sizes, easily removed, made from surplus or old leather aprons. Cut off a strip sufficient to cover your hand and a half width, and approximately twice the length of wrist to fingertips. Cut a slit at one end sufficient for your hand to pass through, and use this to protect the palm and fingers of your hand, You can then hold with the 'glove' or quickly let it go free, and grip anything needed with your exposed fingers, replace to cover the palm when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Thanks for the idea John, I can't see myself doing it for everyday gloves but that sounds like a nice idea to wear at demonstrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Budd Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 i've often thought about finding a lefty to swap gloves with too :D Never found one though! I asked the folk I get my gloves from if they could supply lefts and they said no. so I have a pile of barely used right hand leather gloves and welding gloves :( Still, at least I found a fairly cheap supply 85p per pair of leather work gloves and £2 for gaunlets. Shame though as I would rather swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Y'know what's going to happen...a lefty is going come along and twig they hold the trump card as all the righties (the majority) want their left gloves, so they'll say they want 5 right hand gloves for every 3 left hand ones they swap. Crafty devils. P.S I'd love to see someone pitch "left hand only" gloves in the Dragon's Den. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Photo of the ambidextrous gloves I referred to along with a handed pair for comparison. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan P. Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Gloves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Turn them inside out, my Mom did that with her gloves as it gave her a smother inside. for work gloves you can either turn both inside out, or just the one, your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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