Mechanix gloves are a popular topic here at Toolmonger. We like their excellent protection, improved grip, and Robocop aesthetic, but there’s an offering coming that’s more up Spiderman’s alley. The spiny knuckle ribbing and web-like hex grid over the heavy fabric of their soon-to-be-released MRT 0.5 M-Pact gloves wouldn’t be out of place on a Marvel villain’s hands, but there are some new tricks beyond looks built into these gloves.

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It’s not winter now here in the U.S., but it’s never to early to start preparing. One problem to think about is how are you going to use your newfangled phone without removing your gloves. Cutting-edge phones like the Apple iPhone, the Palm Pre, the HTC G1, and many phones soon to be released use a capacitive touch screen. What this means is the phone only works with your bare finger — not a stylus, and especially not gloves.

Right now the glove of choice for this application seems to be the ETIP Gloves from The North Face, but since you can’t actually purchase them, we’re writing about the Touchees_  tech gloves. Aisoy Robotics claims the Touchees_ high thermal insulation gloves are compatible with all kinds of touch screens.  These 90% cotton, 10% polyamide gloves come in black and cream colors in one size — the only measurement they give is 19.5cm from the tip of the middle finger to the wrist.

The gloves normally run €17.00 or about $24 a pair, but they’re discounting them to €15.00 ($21) right now. Shipping will run you €5.5 ($8).

Touchees_ [Corporate Site]

As a theater stage technician I handle hot light fixtures, heavy weights and set pieces, and ropes and rigging, so gloves are a must — after a day at the fly rail without ‘em, I’d be sorely sorry and rubbed raw. These SetWear Journeyman gloves feature tough, durable SureGrip panels on the palm and fingers, and they look like they’d do the trick.

Everyone at work wears SetWear gear, which seems to be a staple in theaters and on movie sets alike, and I think these gloves are reasonable at $27, if they hold up to the wear and tear of an average workday.  But I’ll throw this one out to you guys:  How many of you handle rope on a daily basis, hemp or synthetic?  What kind of gloves do you use?  Let us know in comments.

Journeyman Gloves [SetWear]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

I first saw these gloves during the NASCAR pit crew races a few weeks ago.  A newscaster was interviewing one of the tire-changers who was wearing these gloves that looked like they could win a fight with a meat grinder.  Even if they never face that challenge, the gloves certainly gave the pit crew member the cool-factor during the interview.

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A few years ago Mechanix added the M-pact padded glove to their always-great-looking lineup of gloves.  Now they’re making another go of it with the Impact Pro — it sports the same color scheme and rubber styling as the original M-pact, plus reinforced fingertips and breathable palms that the glove doctors at Mechanix say will give you less sweaty-palm syndrome while at the same time providing a better grip on anything in your grasp.

Figure on around $15 to $20 for a pair — which means if you pick some up and they feel good, you can have ‘em for about the same price as any other set of mechanics gloves.

Impact Pro Gloves [Mechanix]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Whenever I hear the words “safety” and “gloves” together, I either flash back to high school PSA’s, or I feel a distinct urge to dig out my old Men Without Hats album.  These safety gloves aren’t Thriller-style or anything as sexy as all that — they will help you to not remove pieces of your fingers with a whittling knife, though.

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Every time I see Mechanix vent gloves I think of the eighties, when guys used to wear leather driving gloves with the fingers cut off.  Perhaps it’s the holes in the hand, but they always produce a chuckle.

You might ask, “Are these the same as the regular gloves, just with holes?”  Yes, yes they are.  Aside from sporting the “80s Awesomeness” they’re the same Mechanix gloves you might find in any shop, just with more of a perforated vibe.  Down here where it’s hot eight months out of the year, you do actually see them around.  White isn’t the best color in the world for ‘em, but they don’t stay that way for long.

Pricing is about the same at $18 to $20 per pair.

Vent Glove [Mechanix]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

It seems like you can’t walk into a mechanic’s shop without seeing at least one tech wearing nitrile gloves — and maybe even a few of the old-timers. There was a time when these guys regularly used cleaners and solvents that would melt the skin off your fingers. However the long-term effects of chemical exposure coupled with the short-term problem of filthy, nasty hands have convinced them to slip some of these on. How about you?

The various companies that make these gloves seem to be marketing directly to mechanics: sending out free samples, making them in basic black rather than the purples and blues they used to come in — not to mention giving them names like “The Shadow.”

In addition to their obvious resistance to oils and solvents, some of these gloves feature textured surfaces that provide a better grip in slippery situations. And since they’re not made of latex rubber, you don’t have to worry about allergic reactions.

So what do you think? Are these an indispensable part of your work routine, or do you just love the feel of the grime under your fingernails? Tell us in the comments.

Street Pricing [Google Products]

We have to give Mechanix credit for making gloves look cool. Even their Flash-laden website exudes polish and style. It would be real easy to hate them for it — except that, in our experience, their gloves whoop ass. The new padded construction glove looks like it carries on the tradition.

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Sears has marked these mechanics gloves down to $8 — they aren’t the greatest gloves in the world, but you’ll be glad to have ‘em in the back of your car for that emergency tire change or suchlike. Available in sizes medium, large, and extra large, they feature flexible, durable synthetic palms, padded two-way-stretch Spandex top, and double-density fingers and thumb for added protection.

Mechanics Gloves [Sears]

When someone recommends a tool to us, we always ask how it was used and how it’s holding up. If the tool is pristine without a scratch or spec of dirt on it we tend to discount it a bit. Not so with reader 787B’s shop gloves. These have been around the block a few times.

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Sears is selling these mechanic’s gloves for $10, down from $20. The machine-washable, 4-1/2 ounce gloves feature synthetic material in the palm for increased grip, and double density in the fingers and thumbs for added protection. Spandex in the top provides flexibility, and you can adjust the gloves at the cuff with a Velcro closure. The offer’s good through April 26.

Craftsman Mechanic’s Gloves [Sears]

Spend any amount of time working with your hands, and you’ll definitely find yourself shopping for gloves. Whether you work inside or out, a good set of work gloves can make all the difference in the world. They keep your hands clean, provide a better grip on your tools and your work, and improve your overall comfort. Today you can choose from hundreds of gloves — but, in my opinion, most of them can’t hold a candle to the Atlas gloves.

Instantly recognizable and widely used, you’ll see the Atlas Fit 300 gloves on all kinds of jobs, from landscaping and construction to security system installations and even tree climbing — the uses are limited only by your imagination. I even read of a guy who uses ‘em to protect his fingers while playing the guitar — no joke.

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You may notice that my Hobart welding gloves, pictured above, look like they’ve been through hell. That’s because that’s exactly where I put them (instead of my bare hands) damn near every time I use ‘em. I’ve burned ‘em, ground ‘em, scuffed ‘em, and otherwise treated ‘em like crap for a year now, and they’re still just as protective and comfy as the second week I wore ‘em. Read on past the jump to find out why they’re one of our favorite tools of 2007.

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Work gloves generally come in a small selection of sizes for men, with a few women’s sizes thrown in for good measure. To my continued shame, I sometimes find myself wearing pink or pastel-colored women’s gloves because the men’s gloves don’t fit my hands very well. No more! Lee Valley now sells an affordable line of Work Gloves in sizes children to extra large, all in the same neutral green.

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The Silverback magnetic glove is basically a fingerless glove with a big-ass magnet slapped on the back of it. We can see uses for this; it’s always cool to have a readily-available place to store a few metallic odds and ends.

One concern: if you’re doing automotive work, we could see that big-ass magnet pulling your hand towards every stray piece of steel in the engine bay — of which there’s a great deal nowadays. And that bulky magnet strapped to your fist might prove to be a tight fit — especially with  nuts and bolts along for the ride.

Of course, a different arena such as roofing might show the Silverback magnetic glove in a better light, though we don’t know many roofers who carry around fasteners anymore. But what do you think? Let us know in comments.

Street pricing starts at $7.

Magnetic Gloves [Silverback]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Now you have absolutely no excuse for owning both a pair of dirty work gloves for out in the shop and a pair of clean gloves for moving furniture and such. Harbor Freight, who normally offers these split-leather work gloves for $3, has them marked down to $1.

Buy early. Buy often.

Split Leather Work Gloves [Harbor Freight]