It’s day two of glove week, and today we’re trying on Mac Tools’ Foose-branded work gloves.  One thing even the most casual observer will notice is that these gloves are stuffed full of logos.  Foose Designs, Mac Tools, and a little yellow tag on the edge seam that reads “Mechanix Wear” all fight for hand-space like NASCAR sponsors. 

We’d imagine that at least a few hardcore deals went down to bring these gloves to the public, but (as always) we ask only one question:  “Are they worth a crap in the shop?”  There’s only one way to find out, so we put ‘em to the test.  Read on past the jump for our experiences and lots of pics.

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Contractor work often requires that you live life on your knees – literally.  This means constant pressure on your knees from hard surfaces like flooring or concrete, which can leave you hobbling — unless you have a set of good hardshelled knee pads like McGuire Nicholas’ Gel Lites.

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DeWalt recently released a whole slew of heavily-branded shoes intended for various work tasks.  Our favorite: the “High Performance Lightweight Oxford” in black (pictured).  It reminds us more of a Timberland hiking shoe than what appears in our minds when we think “work shoe,” but kudos to DeWalt for offering something a little different.

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We’ve in the shop all year round.  Since the shop isn’t heated, our fingers generally feel like icicles during the cold months.  Maybe this year we’ll try out Revco’s Cold Snap line of insulated mechanics gloves.

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Despite owning tool belts and tool aprons, for some reason my tools always seem to end up in my back pocket, inevitably poking holes through my jeans and into my bum.  Duluth’s Rump Guard looks like a possible solution.  Think of it as a bullet-proof pocket protector for your ass: it’s made from denim and Kevlar – a 73% cotton / 21% polyester / 6% Kevlar blend.

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If you haven’t checked out the comment thread on yesterday’s reader question post about latex gloves, you should.  There’s some great info there that’s made me re-think how I use gloves in the shop.

Specifically, while there’s been no sure-fire confirmation of the concept of petrolium causing latex allergies, it does seem obvious from comments that latex gloves are much more permeable than they might seem.  I use them to avoid grinding grit into my fingernails and skin, and they work fine for that.  But some readers have posted sources for nitrile gloves at about the same price, so I think I’ll switch.

Also, readers KMR and Stuey recommend this interesting site which sells a ton of different glove types and hosts a chart showing which type of gloves are resistant to which chemicals.  Good stuff!

TM reader Abe posted the following comment on our recent Tip: Close Off Fluid Lines With Latex Gloves post: “Please do not wear latex gloves in the shop. Petroleum products cause the latex to break down and may cause you to develop a latex allergy.  This is such a serious problem that hospitals will not let workers bring their own hand lotion from home because some lotions contain pertoleum products.   A latex allergy is something you do not want to go through life with.”

I’m going to do some research myself when I get a chance, because I’ve used latex gloves in the shop for years with no adverse effects.  But have any of you heard or seen anything relating to this? 

Let us know in comments.

What’s one better than a flag-draped hard-hat?  A flag-draped hard-hat with Lady Liberty, of course!  There’s no mistaking her copper visage shining forth from the well-protected head of this product’s owner, who’ll definitely be the envy of all the other guys stuck working over Wednesday’s American holiday.

Note: In competition with our friends at The Hardware Aisle, we’re posting lots of patriotic tools today and tomorrow.  Look for a post on Wednesday (the 4th) where you can vote for your favorite.  And don’t forget to submit your favorite patriotic tools!  If your suggestion is the reader favorite, we’ll send you a tool from the test pile — something nice.

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Stereotype or no, any pro plumber or carpenter will tell you: nobody wants to see your bare ass — at least no one who’ll pay your for plumbing or capentry work.  A good pair of suspenders’ll keep your pants — and profits — up.  And if you happen to show your Independence Day spirit in the process, that’s a good thing, no?

Note: In competition with our friends at The Hardware Aisle, we’re posting lots of patriotic tools today and tomorrow.  Look for a post on Wednesday (the 4th) where you can vote for your favorite.  And don’t forget to submit your favorite patriotic tools!  If your suggestion is the reader favorite, we’ll send you a tool from the test pile — something nice.

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After years of getting all my gloves dirty — then tearing my hands up moving furniture or other “clean” items bare-handed — I finally learned to buy a separate set to keep as “clean” gloves.

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Ok, I’ll be the first to admit that I wear a shop apron sometimes, especially if I’m welding.  First, the cheap-ass leather apron I have does a pretty good job of protecting my chest and crotch from flying metal (including grinding waste), and it’s nice to just stick a pencil or marker in the chest pocket for easy keeping.

But that said, I just haven’t been able to get into the concept of overalls.  I’ve seen guys wear them before, but I feel like a dork in ‘em.

What do you Toolmongers think?  Stupid or practical?  Let us know in comments.

These gloves provide big-time freedom of movement via cut outs and relief areas while still protecting your fingers and hands with good quality leather.  But bionic?  They don’t feature any of the super-cool gizmo tech I think of when I hear “bionic.”  Bummer.

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If you love the old-school vibe you get from wearing a nail apron but don’t want to cough up $12 or more for one, Husky’s got your back with a 5-pocket nylon apron for a whopping $4.  Besides, I actually used one of these while making some spot repairs on a roof the other day, and was favorably impressed with the strength of the material and the comfort.  Fasteners didn’t poke through the material as mush as one might expect with thin nylon.  In short: it rocked.

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Mike Rowe fans take note: if you want to go tromping around knee deep in muck, you’d better own superior muck-stomping gear like these hardy boots from folks who know all about grunge and slime — Muck Boots.

Muck Boots’ “Chore” work boots (pictured) are one-hundred percent waterproof from the lightweight rubber outsole all the way up to the knee to keep you dry as you tromp through the nastiness.  They also feature a lined, super-padded interior shell to keep you warm while still providing excellent comfort and shock absorption on hard surfaces like asphalt, concrete and rocky terrain.

The best part about Muck boots, though, is getting them clean — just hose ‘em down and you’re ready to go again.

Street Pricing starts at $69.

Chore Work Boot [Muck Boots]
Street Pricing [Google Product Search]
Via Amazon [What's This?]

Are you more Terrell Owens than Jerry Rice when it comes to hanging on to crap around the jobsite?  These gloves’ tacky palms might help, though you’ll have to put up with “tacky palms” jokes from your co-workers.

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As you’ve seen in some of our how-to and hands-on posts, we’re probably the kings of welding in improper gear.  It’s not that we’re not aware of that fact — or that we don’t have the scars to show for it — it’s just that here in Texas it gets so incredibly damn hot in the summertime that we often just wuss out and pass on the heavy leathers.  That’s why we were thrilled when we came across these lightweight flame-retardant treated cotton options from Airgas. 

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Think of the Scrusher boot brush as a car wash for your boots.  It knocks the mud off so you’ll be remembered by your sparkling personality as opposed to the tracks of mud you leave everywhere.

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