Source for Elk skin gloves for handling fire wood

[WinterWarmLg]

Greetings, fellow hoarders! I'm looking for recommendations for a good quality work glove made of elk skin. I cut down, cut up, split, and stack a lot of wood, and am tired of going through gloves quickly. I've heard that elk skin gloves are very hardy, if you get a good manufacturer. Can you recommend a brand/source?

Any other suggestions for long-lasting gloves are very welcome, and thanks!

 

[CountryBoy19]

It's not exactly what you asked for but IMHO, I take the other approach. Buy the cheapest sacrificial gloves I can get. For the last 5+ years now I've been using the cheap latex/rubber dipped knit gloves that can be had anywhere from free to $2 per pair. They last surprisingly well, I use them for just about anything I do that requires gloves, I keep pairs all over (in each car, in my garden shed, in my garage etc) because they are so cheap, and the best part, no loss when they wear out, you get poison ivy all over them, lose them, etc.

The fact of the matter is, no glove will last forever; I've found cutting/splitting/stacking firewood is especially hard on even the "most durable" of gloves. Why spend a large premium on a special glove material made by a special maker that is only going to last marginally longer?

That's just my opinion...

 

[ElmBurner]

Yeah, pretty much this. I bought a pair of kevlar gloves for chainsaw use and found that they had good grip for handling firewood as well. The problem is, moving wood with them just chews 'em up. I'd say buy a pair or two of leather gloves every year and throw them away when they are used up.

I don't think you are going to find gloves that last if you do anything beyond very casual wood cutting.

 

[Applesister]

You can try Deerskin Trading Co. If they are just a purchaser they will try to sell you what they have.
I buy roping gloves (rodeo) made from deerskin but they dont hold up to wood processing and they are too expensive. However they are my best work glove.
Thin flexible strong leather. I have never heard of Elk being commercially available.
My father used to turn his deer hides in to a manufacturer/tannery in Gloversville NY and get a pair of deerskin gloves every year.
You might have to track Elk to the same type of source(a tannery). A hunting expedition company that processes carcasses. Elk is on lottery and theres what? Like 2500 hides harvested a year?

 

[Applesister]

Yeah, wood processing is brutal on gloves, I think leather is wasted on that chore. I use the rubber coated cotton gloves too. I have carpal tunnel in both wrists and the rubber bite helps with grip fatigue.
Rubber is also good for handling punky buggy mushroomy wood.

 

[Poindexter]

I agree wood processing is brutal on gloves. I am partial to the $20/ pair yellow leather ones at Lowes-Depot - but as soon as I get them home I cut strips of duct tape or packing tape and armour up all the high wear areas.

As the tape wears through I can tape them back up on top of intact leather. I still go through a pair of gloves for every three or four cords processed.

 

[Riff]

You can try Deerskin Trading Co. If they are just a purchaser they will try to sell you what they have.
I buy roping gloves (rodeo) made from deerskin but they dont hold up to wood processing and they are too expensive. However they are my best work glove.
Thin flexible strong leather. I have never heard of Elk being commercially available.
My father used to turn his deer hides in to a manufacturer/tannery in Gloversville NY and get a pair of deerskin gloves every year.
You might have to track Elk to the same type of source(a tannery). A hunting expedition company that processes carcasses. Elk is on lottery and theres what? Like 2500 hides harvested a year?

I think they get more of the elk hides they get come from the growing meat industry. It's become a rather popular game meat and there are farms that raise elk for the meat, hide, and antlers. The meat's very popular with people into the paleo diet while you can find the antlers in all manners of furniture or as dog chews.

 

[Applesister]

Maybe he would be successful locating an Elk farm?

 

[cptoneleg]

Maybe he can kill an elk and take his gloves

 

[BenTN]

Save the gloves, get a pickeroon.....

 

[johneh]

Here a couple of places that have Elk hide gloves

http://www.yellowstonegloves.com/yellowstoneproducts.html

https://www.foxcreekleather.com/products/1283-elkskin-work-gloves

http://www.jrcglove.com/elkskin.html
This should keep you out of trouble for a little bit

 

[Longstreet]

I agree, cheap gloves are the way to go. Except for loading the stove. A good quality glove for that is a must. I use welders gloves but I'm sure there are better options.

 

[BrotherBart]

I am going to have to start using gloves when I am processing wood to see what all the shouting is about. Never have worn them for cutting, splitting or stacking. Just for loading the stove.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

It's not exactly what you asked for but IMHO, I take the other approach. Buy the cheapest sacrificial gloves I can get. For the last 5+ years now I've been using the cheap latex/rubber dipped knit gloves that can be had anywhere from free to $2 per pair. They last surprisingly well, ..

I'm a traditionalist. I'd rather use leather.

But I don't anymore. The rubber dipped stuff is just WAAAAAY better.

I bought my first dipped gloves from Northern Tool (don't see them there anymore), and haven't looked back. Lately I've been getting them from Costco. They outlast leather about 3 to one.

Mind you, I don't get the really thin cheapies, I get the thick ones. Far more comfortable and far more durable than any other gloves I've tried.

Found (broken link removed to http://www.discountsafetygear.com/rugged-blue-latex-dipped-gloves.html)with a quick search - a buck nineteen a pair? Not bad. I don't know how thick these are, though.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I'm a traditionalist. I'd rather use leather.

But I don't anymore. The rubber dipped stuff is just WAAAAAY better.

I bought my first dipped gloves from Northern Tool (don't see them there anymore), and haven't looked back. Lately I've been getting them from Costco. They outlast leather about 3 to one.

Mind you, I don't get the really thin cheapies, I get the thick ones. Far more comfortable and far more durable than any other gloves I've tried.

Found (broken link removed to http://www.discountsafetygear.com/rugged-blue-latex-dipped-gloves.html)with a quick search - a buck nineteen a pair? Not bad. I don't know how thick these are, though.

I would much rather use leather as well... but I found that even $30-40 premium leather work gloves wouldn't last more than a few months handling wood and I had to replace them... I tried the rubber dipped ones and will never look back (at least for the highly abrasive purposes)

 

[Ashful]

Yeah, pretty much this. I bought a pair of kevlar gloves for chainsaw use and found that they had good grip for handling firewood as well. The problem is, moving wood with them just chews 'em up. I'd say buy a pair or two of leather gloves every year and throw them away when they are used up.

I don't think you are going to find gloves that last if you do anything beyond very casual wood cutting.

I have the same experience. While I don't like the knit gloves that Applesister uses, I buy the mid-grade leather landscape gloves, and use those. I don't mind throwing them away when I get the innevitable hole in the index and middle fingers from handling firewood. I did try the high-end glove route for a while, but found they didn't last that much longer, despite costing 6x more.

 

[maple1]

I got a card of these a couple years ago at Costco. Same gloves, but there were 8 pairs on a card. Think they're the best glove investment I ever made, I don't do anything with wood without a pair on. Also have a couple pairs that look somewhat the same, but are insulated. Just had them on a couple hours ago shoveling out from last nights snow.

 

[Woody Stover]

I am going to have to start using gloves when I am processing wood to see what all the shouting is about. Never have worn them for cutting, splitting or stacking. Just for loading the stove.

Yeah, ya don't really need 'em for processing wood unless you have trouble gripping. Just another thing to spend money on. Slivers are few and far between unless you're not careful, or you got girlie-skin hands.

 

[BrotherBart]

Like Jack Benny said when he was asked why he carried his shoes when he walked to work: "Shoes cost money. Skin I can grow.".

 

[Oldman47]

Yep, my gloves are self healing but I can only use them so many hours each day or they get to hurting.

 

[Soundchasm]

I really enjoy getting the "right" leather gloves off a rack somewhere. It's fun to find the right color, texture, weight, and down to where both gloves fit the same and once in a blue moon, a pair where the pinky is not just as long as the index finger!

But I am converting to the rubberized camp. That stupid product is just too good and too handy to not use.

I always wear gloves when I do anything. I make too many mistakes with hammers and blades and carrying something slightly wider than a door. Gloves are a "force multiplier" for me. I can put much more force on a screwdriver, etc., and I'm able to work longer.

I used to find a nice pair by CE Schmidt at Tractor Supply I'd treat myself to occasionally.