# Gloves for Flying?



## Carolyn Pike (Sep 13, 2016)

I am trying to find decent gloves for rope work, i.e. fly rail work, that won't break down too fast or wear through. Has anyone used a pair that they have found that are good? Looking for a couple pairs.


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## Van (Sep 13, 2016)

Carolyn, I find that gloves are a very personal issue. and there are a couple of schools of thought on how they are used/purchased. Some folks like the throw-away el cheapos that you buy at Harbor freight, the kind that are supposed to be "mechanics gloves" I can go through a pair of those in an afternoon. 
I've known some TD's that have very strong prohibitions against wearing gloves while operating the file system. Like any machine with moving parts you run the risk of any loose fabric getting caught in the moving parts. I happen to think that this argument is a good argument for well fitting gloves. Get some medium-heavy all-leather work gloves. Stay away from anything fabric or those crappy faux-leather or reconstituted leather things. Don't get me wrong; Set Wear makes some cool gloves but I'd rather have a decent pair of Home Depot specials. 
When you buy a pair of gloves for working the fly rail make sure they either stay at the rail or in your gig bag unless you are running a show. You do not want to use them for moving pipe or unloading steel or anything else that is going to get them filthy and greasy. Filth will get in your ropes and grease is bad for everything!
Like I said, I prefer a good pair of Leather work gloves. I really like to put them on, then dunk my hands in some really hot water, then wear then around for a couple hours. sounds stupid but at the end you'll have a really well-fitting pair of gloves, form-fit to your hands.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Sep 13, 2016)

These guys get some compliments: https://www.dirtyrigger.co.uk


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## egilson1 (Sep 14, 2016)

I'll second dirty rigger gloves. In my experience they lasted a bit longer than other brands. That being said, I'm lucky to get a year from any set of gloves I use.


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## techieman33 (Sep 14, 2016)

egilson1 said:


> I'll second dirty rigger gloves. In my experience they lasted a bit longer than other brands. That being said, I'm lucky to get a year from any set of gloves I use.



It's not worth the cost to me when I can get a pair of mechanics gloves for 1/4 of the price. Maybe the build quality and materials aren't quite as good but not enough to justify that much increase in cost. I'm happy with the good enough gloves that I can destroy in a couple months or lose and not feel bad about it.


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## Nathan Grater (Sep 14, 2016)

I like using leather fingerless climbing gloves and use the Metolius climbing glove. They cost about $30. They have the dexterity that comes with fingerless gloves, but have thick leather palm reinforcement that keeps your hands cool and protected. Because they are all leather, as you use them they form to your hands. This reduces loose fabric that can catch on things. They last far longer than any mechanic type glove I have used and have better grip. I also echo Van's statement that these gloves are only used for the rail. I have cheap mechanics gloves for unloading trucks etc.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Sep 14, 2016)

And no one has said that if the gloves don't fit, you must acquit?


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## porkchop (Sep 15, 2016)

My temptation with this kind of thing is to think of the gloves as a consumable and find the cheapest ones that fit well and then buy them in bulk and replace them often.


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## What Rigger? (Sep 17, 2016)

BillConnerFASTC said:


> And no one has said that if the gloves don't fit, you must acquit?


I'm only a couple days late on that...


Also: I would say consider the Dirty Rigger line, or Petzl makes some good stuff too. But yes, personal preference comes into play a lot.
Gill sailing gloves are also pretty neato.


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## kiwitechgirl (Sep 19, 2016)

I've had a few pairs of sailing gloves which have served me pretty well. I always preferred the fingerless ones personally.


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## bobgaggle (Sep 20, 2016)

ever consider not wearing gloves? power through the pain for a few weeks and you'll grow a custom pair of gloves right on your hands haha.


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## What Rigger? (Sep 22, 2016)

bobgaggle said:


> ever consider not wearing gloves? power through the pain for a few weeks and you'll grow a custom pair of gloves right on your hands haha.


C'mon Bob, nobody's asking to (literally) work their fingers to the bone here.

See what I did there? Oh yeah.


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## Aaron Becker (Sep 29, 2016)

I've personally never had a problem with Home Depot/Menards work gloves myself. I wouldn't fly things without gloves, and I wouldn't even consider climbing up to the loading bridge without gloves and probably a backup pair too. I've never felt a problem with an "on sale" from Home Depot, so I've never seen a reason to get something else. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but, I'm of the mindset that if it's not broken, don't fix it.


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## techieman33 (Sep 29, 2016)

Aaron Becker said:


> I've personally never had a problem with Home Depot/Menards work gloves myself. I wouldn't fly things without gloves, and I wouldn't even consider climbing up to the loading bridge without gloves and probably a backup pair too. I've never felt a problem with an "on sale" from Home Depot, so I've never seen a reason to get something else. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but, I'm of the mindset that if it's not broken, don't fix it.



I run flys all the time without gloves for day to day stuff when I'm just moving a lineset here and there. I only wear them when I'm moving things during a show. I can't stand wearing gloves when I'm loading weight though. It's mostly a mental thing, I like that solid tactile feedback of holding the bricks in my bare hand.


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## Aaron Becker (Sep 29, 2016)

techieman33 said:


> I run flys all the time without gloves for day to day stuff when I'm just moving a lineset here and there. I only wear them when I'm moving things during a show. I can't stand wearing gloves when I'm loading weight though. It's mostly a mental thing, I like that solid tactile feedback of holding the bricks in my bare hand.



Yeah, if I'm just hanging out or needing to fly in something that's balanced, I don't mind doing it gloveless. For a show or load in/out, I'm always wearing gloves. The bricks hurt my hands after a few hundred pounds, starts to wear out my skin.


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## bobgaggle (Oct 18, 2016)

I go gloveless all the time. Inevitably a hole shows up and its a great place for something to catch. Now I take off my wedding ring as well. Had a near miss with a knuckle buster catching my ring when flying a piece out. Luckily I managed to unsnag my finger before any damage was done...


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