(photo: www.merchantandmakers.com)
When I think of leatherworking today, I mostly think about bags, shoes and wallets. I had never considered making gloves but after watching several videos on the subject, it got me intrigued. I rounded up a few of my favorites and posted them below.
Gantier – Glove Maker
While browsing for other leatherworking videos, this is the one that first caught my attention. I was mesmerized by how efficiently this glove maker broke down the hide and cut the pieces. Gloves stretch to fit the hand and I never thought about how the direction and amount of stretch in a supple hide would determine where to cut out your piece.
Dents Gloves
I did some more digging and found this very nice walkthrough of a glove shop that has been in operation since 1777. In this video, watch how easily a 44 year sewing veteran tears through sewing a pair of gloves. It was an interesting bit about the history of gloves and how they were once an essential accessory for every gentleman and lady walking about town.
Lederhandschuhe
This Hungarian video shows more details in how a glove passes from one person to another during the manufacturing process. In this shop, much like Dents, workers are specialized into a very specific part of the process. There are sewers, finishers and even clickers who only punch out the holes for driving gloves.
sempre così belli e preziosi e vostri video ed informazioni.
Grazie di tutto Paolo
Thanks for the post. Great videos.
Thanks for taking a look, Carl! We’re glad you enjoyed them.
I’ve always been intrigued by this process and have watched the videos. Only wish there was a template for gloves that I could use somewhere. Always dreamed of making myself a pair of gloves
Thanks for reading, Paul. It would be nice to have a pattern for gloves; we’ll keep an eye out for you!
I am wondered how the leather gloves takes so much effort to be woven. The article showed some of the best statistics on leather gloves.
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond, Faiz!
I am 63 but THE project in leather I remember most was making sheepskin gloves at age 16. Possibly motivated by the cold hands I remember from my younger days no one could have stopped me from what might well have been a daunting project. But, using a Tandy Leather pattern adjusted for my size (L) I proceeded with the most difficult project of my sewing history up until then, and, in some degrees, since then.
Not so hard when you have the right materials, instructions and intent; which is to keep the hands warm and flexible.
This video superlatively captures and presents what I consider to be the highest art of both leatherwork and needlework. Making gloves WILL challenge any seamstress or tailor. I salute the videographers, the workers and their companies for presenting what is an absolutely essential garment in both the finest of fashion and most essential of needs in winter at least, and, for something we take too much for granted.
My thanks to Fine Leatherworking for finding and presenting this video.
My adjurations to all viewing here: you can do it. If I did then you can. Just do it.
Let no child, or adult, have cold hands this year, or any.
I’m grateful for your appreciation for the work that goes into a project like this. Thanks for your insight!
somewhere around here I have a book on making gloves.
Never mind!
I’m going to make some sheepskin mitts to encase my woolen mitts with leather palms, and, the woolen gloves, and, merino gloves inside of each of those. That should take care of these pesky Canadian winters until the next ice age.
If you’re interested in glove making at home, I’ve found two books which seem to be highly recommended by historical costume sewists as they include guidance on pattern making: Make Your Own Gloves by Gwen Emlyn-Jones and How to Make Gloves by Eunice Close. Jones’ book in particular has size-specific patterns for men’s and women’s gloves in the back you can trace over. If you trawl Etsy, you can also buy paper glove patterns from the 1920s-1940s. Mike Redwood’s recent Gloves and Glove Making book includes some good technical data on stitch types and tannage which is an interesting read.
Thanks for the tips, Sarah! Much appreciated.
I am doing a teaching session on workplace learning in medicine. So many people believe medical learning is only acquiring knowledge. I think it is much more like an Apprenticeship, learning through supervised experience, as an Apprentice Master glove maker would train the Apprentices. The video from Hungary is wonderful in showing how complex and hands on it is to make a leather glove. This is another video I found https://www.engelmuller.com/the-art-of-glove-making/ and I plan to use that in my training session.
Thanks for the share, Dr. Caldwell! And best of luck with your upcoming training session.