Most leather glove failures are maintenance failures. Untreated leather wets out, and leather dried near a fire becomes stiff and cracks. Both are avoidable with about twenty minutes of attention twice a season.
- 1
Treat before the first use
New leather gloves — including Kinco work gloves and Hestra army leather — should be treated before they ever get wet. Warm the glove slightly, work a wax-based leather dressing into the whole surface with your fingers, and let it cure overnight. This single step is the difference between a glove that sheds water and one that soaks through in twenty minutes.
- 2
Re-treat twice per season
Once at the start of winter and once mid-season, or any time water stops beading on the surface. Pay particular attention to seams and the palm, which see the most flex and abrasion.
- 3
Dry slowly and never near heat
Direct heat — a fire, a woodstove, a radiator, a car defroster — drives moisture out of the leather too fast and leaves it stiff and brittle. Dry gloves at room temperature, away from any heat source, with the liner pulled out if it is removable.
- 4
Remove and dry liners separately
On gloves with removable liners such as the Hestra Heli or Black Diamond Mercury, pull the liner out every night. A liner left inside stays damp, and damp liners are both cold and the fastest route to a glove that smells permanent.
- 5
Replace liners rather than gloves
Hestra and Black Diamond both sell replacement liners. When the liner is compressed and worn but the shell is fine, replacing the liner restores most of the glove's performance for a fraction of the cost.
Care Schedule
| When | Action | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Before first use | Wax treatment, cure overnight | All leather gloves |
| Start of season | Full re-treatment | All leather gloves |
| Mid-season | Re-treat if water stops beading | Heavy-use gloves |
| Every night in the field | Pull and dry liners | Removable-liner gloves |
| Every 2-3 seasons | Replace liner | Hestra, Black Diamond |