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.
This is a two-year-old set of the last generation Craftsman mechanic’s gloves. The version made in Vietnam with rubber grips on the thumb and forefinger. I made them my “bottom-side” gloves last Winter. Here they are helping me change the strut inserts in my Spec RX-7 race car the hard way (frozen bolts mean removing the entire suspension).
The little red chevrons on the thumb and forefinger have long-since worn off, but the rubber has kept them from developing holes like the previous design. The only hole, just developed, is on the tip of the right-hand middle finger. They’ve been through the wash at least a half-dozen times too.
This hard data comes from a guy who’s not afraid to put a few miles on his gear. Thanks, 787B, for the great photo — and we hope the RX-7 is up and running again.
Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]
Craftsman Mechanics Gloves [Sears]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
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5 Responses to Working Man’s Gloves
Leave a Reply to Cole Goldstein Cancel reply
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I added some of my gloves to the photo pool. I hate getting my hands dirty so I always try to have some gloves on hand. I’m always buying them as I tend to lose them too.
You’re welcome. 🙂 (787B = Toolaremia) Thanks for publishing them. The RX-7 is running again, with new struts!
Some readers have given these gloves short shrift in the past, so I wanted to provide photographic evidence that these are some hard-working gloves. They are a nearly unbeatable bargain for the $10 I paid for all the sets I own.
Now I just need to post some pics of the ten-year-old $5 Wells Lamont leather gloves I use as tire gloves… 😉
I got those same gloves for $5 (pink closeout tag at Sears) and after being put through the paces mine are holding up pretty well. I did wear some spots down on them when I was using a wire brush to clean off some bolts and in the process was rubbing on the glove. Otherwise they have been great and very comfy!
Been a firm believer in these and their Mechanix cousins for a long time. Got about 6 pair of the old style, 1 of the new. One question. Do any of you have problems with these gloves developing a hole between thumb and index finger?
I have a pair of the CG Impact Pro Mechanix gloves. And I destroyed them in about a week. The index finger on the thumb sides a torn, the knuckles are busting open. Just total carnage. I build leather and metal armor, and blacksmith. They just couldn’t handle the job, although they did save my left hand finger tips from what would have been a nice shave on an industrial belt sander.