Do leather gloves stretch? The answer is dependent on the animal hide, tanning method, and thickness of the glove, to name a few.
There are also several ways to break in your leather gloves, and some methods may work better than others for you based on your personal preference.
This article will discuss whether or not leather gloves stretch. We will look into how long it takes to stretch and break in leather gloves. We will also look at several methods used to stretch leather gloves and our opinion of the best method to avoid ruining the gloves.
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Do Leather Gloves Stretch?
Leather gloves stretch and conform to the hand. Natural oils produced by the hand cause the leather to expand and conform to the shape of the hand. However, the type, grade, and thickness of the leather glove affect its ability to stretch. Additionally, the flexibility of the liner used in the glove determines the amount of stretching that is possible.
How Much Will a Leather Glove Stretch?
After surveying owners of leather gloves, the consent was that leather gloves could stretch a maximum of one hand size. Some leathers, such as elk have more flexibility in size changes. In contrast, leathers from cow and bison tend to stretch the least. The tanning method also affects stretching. Gloves created from vegetable-tanned leathers are stiffer and tend to stretch the least, while leather gloves created from combination leathers such as chromexcel provide more flexibility.
Do Leather Gloves Stretch Over Time?
Leather gloves naturally stretch to conform to the hands after an extended period of wearing time. However, the leather gloves need to be conditioned regularly to prevent shrinkage.
How Can You Stretch Leather Gloves Without Ruining Them?
Slowly stretching leather gloves adds length to the finders without splitting the seam. A leather glove stretcher combined with oil provides properly loosens and conditions the leather fibers for a slow stretch.
- Oil the gloves before using the stretcher and let the gloves sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, try to put the gloves on.
- If you cannot put the gloves on, repeat the stretching process with a slightly larger glove stretcher.
- The goal is to get the gloves to the point where you can put them on.
- Once you can put them on, leave them on for four-six hours
- Check the seams every hour to make sure that the thread isn’t coming loose.
- If you notice splitting, remove the glove from your hands and put them back on the glove stretcher.
- Continue the process of your using a glove stretcher and putting the gloves on your hand.
- However, if you continue to see the thread coming loose, then the gloves are too small and will probably never stretch to where you need them to be.
How Long Does It Take to Break In Leather Gloves?
It takes approximately 24 – 72 hours of wearing time to break in leather gloves by strictly wearing them. The time decreases if artificial methods such as using a glove stretcher or adding additional conditioners to the surface.
What Is The Best Way To Stretch Leather Gloves?
Wearing leather gloves is the best way to stretch them. If you can get your hands in the gloves, but they’re tight, the leather will stretch so that it conforms to your hands. As stated above, the natural oils and heat generated from the hand being closed up in a tight space cause the leather to stretch slowly and consistently. Rapid stretching leads to splits in the seams.
Another method of natural stretching involves wearing a thin pair of cotton gloves underneath the gloves. It is really easy to do this while lounging around the house or watching television.
Water treatment methods work, but they lead to leather stiffness. I will go into more details on the wet method for stretching gloves in the following section.
3 Ways to Stretch Leather Gloves
Water Method
I find that the water method is best for work gloves, particularly gloves that consistently get wet. Leather garden gloves are a good example. If you wear a pair of leather gloves in your garden, you know what I’m talking about.
While working in the yard, the leather gloves inevitably get wet. Most of us take the wet gloves off and throw them on a table to dry, but upon the next use, the leather gloves are too stiff to put on.
The stiffening of the leather gloves happens because wetting the gloves causes the natural moisture to be released from the gloves. If the gloves are not reconditioned they stiffen.
The easiest thing to do in this situation is wet the outside and inside of the glove with some water from the water hose. Wetting the gloves loosens up the leather fibers. The gloves can be put on. Remember, after wetting the gloves, they will become stiff. The best thing to do is wear them until they dry so that they will conform to the shape of your hand.
Unfortunately, repeating this wetting and drying process leads to the gloves’ deterioration and will need to be replaced. If you really want the leather gloves to last longer, you will need to condition them with a natural oil such as Neatsfoot or a natural conditioner.
Reconditioning restores the moisture level. However, multiple cycles of wetting and reconditioning the leather result in a shorter life of the leather glove.
Leather Stretch Sprays
For extremely tight leather gloves or gloves that have shrunk, there are spray-on products that cause the leather to stretch. The products are designed for shoes, but they can be used on leather gloves. A popular product is called Shoe Stretch. It’s really just a leather conditioner, but people use it.
It’s easy to use. Spray the inside and outside of the leather glove with Shoe Stretch. Then put the glove on and wear it for a few hours.
The glove stretch will vary depending on the type and thickness of the leather. This method works best if you wear a linen or cotton glove underneath the leather glove.
Glove Stretcher
A glove stretcher lengthens the fingers of a glove if the stretcher is bigger than the glove. The stretcher can be used as a rack to prevent the glove from shrinking after it becomes wet. Check a few things before using the glove stretcher to make sure it works properly.
The fingers on the stretcher should be spread as wide as your fingers can spread. A glove stretcher with the fingers close together will not provide the horizontal stretching that is required for hand movements that require finger dexterity.
The alignment of the thumb should come straight out to the side. It should not be angled down on the same line as the fingers because when the glove is wet and you are trying to put it on, the glove gets stuck in the crease between the thumb and the forefinger.
