Reinforced/Combat Gloves

[Exmasonite]

Tried a search on this and didn't get too far.

With winter here, i find that i'm wearing gloves a lot. one of my concerns is keeping a light enough glove to not inhibit my ability to deploy/use self defense weapons while still keeping warm.

Does anybody have any experience with reinforced gloves for SD? Not sure on the legality (if similar to brass knuckles, etc) but even if just a kydex/kevlar handbacking for parrying bladed weapons.

I imagine anything on the INSIDE of the hand would probably be too cumbersome to be realistic for EDC.

Anyways, just wondering what people's thoughts/opinions were on this.

Thanks.

 

[Pax Jordana]

The most common application of what you're asking is the 'sap glove' with powdered lead in the knuckles. They're considered brass knuckles in most places.

see here (obscenely long link)

I try not to wear very thick gloves, usually the bare minimum and a generous helping of sticking my hands in my pockets is all I need. Insulated leather work gloves would be pretty mean to face in a fist fight too.

I like mechanic's gloves for working with my hands outside. Usually they're good enough to keep your hands warm-ish and still have the dexterity to work with tools.

As far as an insert.. to parry a blade.. well I don't usually parry blades with my hands! lol.. Maybe if you wore the gloves all the time. I'd hate to have that be some sort of ingrained defense option and then one day be without my up-armored handgear

You know, I've never shot a pistol in gloves.. hunting rifles sure but never a pistol.. I'll have to try it out. Somebody else will have to fill that one in.

Edited to add: Look at your favorite cop shop online for puncture- and cut-resistant search gloves. No guarantee, but that might be the sort of thing you're looking for.

 

[hso]

even if just a kydex/kevlar handbacking for parrying bladed weapons

I'm not aware of any SD style that teaches that any contact with the blade is desirable and I can't think of how it would be beneficial.

The motorcycle crowd has been using armored gloves for a few years. Here's an example from a typical website.

 

[Joe Demko]

Be honest. You got the idea for this from watching Batman Begins, right?

 

[bwavec]

I personally like the Oakley Factory Pilot gloves. They are comfy, light and have great dexterity. I have one pair in medium for warm weather, and another pair in large that I wear a thin pair of Smartwool glove liners under for winter time.

 

[Corndogg]

if youre fighting unarmed vs. a knife, id worry more on learning self-defense techniques along those lines (kali, kajukenbo etc) than finding gloves!

 

[TimboKhan]

A good fitting pair of Mechanix brand mechanics gloves are pretty good for shooting, although they aren't particularly warm and offer no specific protection against slashes.

 

[CWL]

I have toyed with the idea of a cut-resistant glove for live blade training, but the gloves available are too cumbersome for practical wear.

You can get stainless steel butchers gloves, spectra lined with steel and kevlar gloves from industrial product suppliers like this one:

http://www.superiorglove.com/Cut_Resistant_Gloves_S11.html

 

[Pax Jordana]

Neat site. These look like the ones they use on the cold steel DVD's..

I used kevlar lined gloves way back when I worked at a bagel shop. By the time I got to wawa, someone had gotten the idea to teach their employees to keep their hands out of the way of the blade! Still, I'd seen a few kevlar gloves make their way to the trashpile.

They do a number on the blade, and it takes serious work (we used 'em for cleaning meat slicers, part of that process was running the slicer open to hone the blade) to kill one, but I wouldn't ever intentionally face off a kevlar glove against a knife. That's why I'd think the chainmail one would be good.

Timbo - I thought the purpose of the glove was to keep your skin out of direct contact with whatever you're holding - on a cold enough day, that does plenty!

 

[cracked butt]

I used to work in a window factory where we wore kevlar gloves with a thin rubber coating on the palms. They were very comfortable and dexterity was good. They were cut-resistant and not cut proof.

Kevlar stops cuts but isn't so good on punctures. When I worked the glass cutter, we were required to wear kevlar from toes to chin. We wore heavy kevlar coats that we called rivetmail because it was about as thick as 2 layers of denim kevlar reinforced with a large steel rivet every inch or so. Even so, one of the glass cutters ended up with a piece of glass puncturing his lung one night that penetrated his coat.

 

[Exmasonite]

haha... haven't watched Batman Begins.

the parrying was probably a bit of a stretch. not going to go into what i know/have practiced but figured it was within the realm of possibility if not practicality.

so there is a legal snafu with the idea... oh well. have to check into michigan law to be sure.

thanks for all the great advice again!

 

[hopkin]

Insulated leather work gloves would be pretty mean to face in a fist fight too.

I've been on the wrong side of a leather-clad fist and it didn't seem to cushion the blow.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Had a pair of those lead-filled gloves once upon a time, ordered by mistake! They provided some entertainment, though; I believe I punched every solid object in sight twice. They're in a box somewhere... probably next to the brass knuckles I used to use like a bridge at the pool hall.

The chainmail (or, more properly, maille) gloves will easily stop anything short of a sword or khukuri from cutting you; I have used them numerous times to assemble/disassemble, clean, and repair meat slicers. Being fond of medieval arms and armor, I thought they were really cool; the ones I used were European 4-in-1 pattern (the most common).

Kevlar gloves and sometimes sleeves are what I've seen police use. I can't speak for their effectiveness, although I don't know any fingerless cops.

 

[Pax Jordana]

Insulated leather work gloves would be pretty mean to face in a fist fight too.
I've been on the wrong side of a leather-clad fist and it didn't seem to cushion the blow.

What I meant was, the guy dealing the damage - are his knuckles cushioned any?

 

[hopkin]

What I meant was, the guy dealing the damage - are his knuckles cushioned any?

A little bit but not enough to make any real difference to either party. Their almost useless as protection for the hitters hand.

By the way, when I got whacked (a drunken blow from a friend) it was the seams that did more damage than the fist. The seams on the fingers tore open an eyebrow and a nostril, and I bled like a pig from almost no damage.

 

[esol]

i wear these in the winter time
http://www.180s.com/pages/catalog_view.aspx?g=1,2&y=2&i=21&c=1

they are fairly thin and maintain decent dexterity

they are pretty warm for what they are and they are designed with a port and air chanels that you can exhale into to warm your hands further if needed

no knife deflecting armor though

 

[MikeG]

A good fitting pair of Mechanix brand mechanics gloves are pretty good for shooting, although they aren't particularly warm and offer no specific protection against slashes.

I've got a pair of Mech Pro mechanic's gloves with Thinsulate. On really cold nights I supplement those with polypro liners. But mine won't protect against slashes either.

 

[Funderb]

Thinsulate Gloves.
Very warm, fit like a latex glove from the doctors.
If you want to shoot.


if you want to not get stabbed in the hand, get some heavy gloves.
they do just fine.

 

[hopkin]

I've found some more examples of gloves that are designed for weapon users:
http://www.uktactical.com/acatalog/Tactical_Gloves.html

Hatch seem to do a lot of 'tactical' gloves that are flame/slash resistant and have reinforced bits:
http://www.hatch-corp.com/law/gloves.aspx

Exmasonite, I'm glad you started this thread. I think I'll upgrade my gloves to something with knuckle padding.

 

[moojpg2]

How about some regular cut resistant gloves like the police usually carry for doing searches and stuff, they're not bulky, and are designed to be able to shoot with them on. Check out Galls.com or some other police supply place.

 

[CZ 42]

Me and a friend got a hold of my dad's motorcycle gloves and helmets once. It didn't hurt at all to punch each other in the face, but it was quite novel at the time. Also, I believe the OP had grabbing the knife away from the attacker in mind when he thought of this- and it would be easier to disarm someone when you could touch the edge.

 

[hso]

CZ 42,

Let me assure you that touching the blade isn't practical nor desirable and, to my knowledge, no martial system teaches that.

On the other hand, developments in materials may one day make adding techniques directed at touching the blade feasible.

 

[alwilliam]

If you think spectra,aramid,razor net whatever gloves will stop a blade ...say good buy to a couple of fingers.

Turtle skin does a great job with light cuts and needles but they are still NOT cut proof....its the old bullet proof thing.:banghead:


I have afriend that works as a"cutter" thats a guy who runs a motor powered 15 inch razor blade that cuts 14 inches of heavy nylon cordura like its nothing...it will remove all your fingers in a 1/2 second.The knives even have a built in sharpening system..the blades are always truly razor sharp.

The well traind use no protection as it slows them downThe less well trained guys use a special high quality stainless chain mail glove that will stop the blade .

You could grab a knife blade no problem with this glove but you would look weird if you wore it out in public.I have one that he gave me and will get a pic...I have used it to grab blades as a test....it will not cut.

 

[Exmasonite]

hso-

exactly my point. sure, nobody wants to grab a blade b/c it cuts. if you could take the cutting part out of the equation, at least as far as your hand is concerned, then using the gloved hand to control the blade makes sense to prevent cutting to more sensitive, important body parts.

Again, a less than ideal situation but if i'm facing a knife attack, i'm already in a less than ideal situation.

 

[alwilliam]

I would not grab any blade unless I was wearing this type glove...