Okay, they're gloves. How can THIS pair of gloves be better than THAT pair of gloves? Selecting gloves and determining whether or not they're any good starts with knowing what you want the gloves FOR. If you're going to wear them shooting then a high level of dexterity is required. If you're only holding ski poles then dexterity loss may not matter so much. A couple months ago I received several pairs of gloves from a company called Ringers Gloves. I had never heard of them but was asked to try them out and yield an opinion. Well, they won't get sold on eBay because I'm keeping them.
I found out about Ringers Gloves through a gentleman that I met at SHOT Show this past year. Walter sent me several pair to try out and get my feedback on. The history of the gloves is quite unique as they weren't originally designed for use by law enforcement, fire fighters, etc. They were originally meant for use by mechanics. The owner of Ringers Gloves designed his first pair in 1992 and started the company in 1996. Now offering a full line of gloves that service all of the various mechanic needs (mechanics, pit crews, tace teams, etc) Ringers has expanded into the fire and rescue community as well.
The first pair we're going to look at are the Ringers Extrication gloves. The Extrication design includes Ringers' proprietary Armortex rienforced index finger and thumb; puncture and abrasion resistance; premium synthetic leather palm and finger matrial; elastic cuffs to keep out debris; anatomically designed palm pads and reflective Schoeller padded knuckles.
That's the objective "this is what they are" list. Here's the subjective stuff. I did a wear test on these gloves while doing work I felt might mimick rescue / extrication work. Since such efforts include using heavy tools, pulling and prying, the work I could do like that involved cutting wood. I used a chain saw, axe, sledge hammer and maul. I found the gloves to be comfortable. They stayed snug on my hands because of the proper fit and the elastic cuff at the wrist. Due to the nature of the work, fine dexterity wasn't required but I had no issues manipulating tools or moving around the wood I was cutting and then splitting. The padded / protected knuckles came in handy as my knuckles (and backs of my fingers) often get a little abused during such work. I had no issues gribbing the tools and as I swung the sledge hammer or maul I paid attention to how secure my grip was; how slippery the gloves made it. It was no problem. Holding onto the tools wasn't an issue. I gave them a passing grade and put them with my other work gloves for future use.
The second pair I want to introduce you to is the Ringers Rope gloves. Since the largest two concerns while working rope rescue are palm abrasions and the need for dexterity, the design has to be different - and it is. The Ringers Rope gloves sport synthetic leather palms and fingertip patches. The leather palms have a gel padding "rope control channel" (along the line of your palm ropes will go if you're working with them) which protects your palms and helps to keep cool faster rope movement. The knuckles have neoprene padding on them (because they always get banged somewhere) and the gloves are secured onto your hand by way of an adjustable velcro elastic band.
With these gloves I found that the fine leather fingertips allowed greater retained dexterity so that I could do such things as brading paracord. They fit me properly and remained secure / tight on my hands. While I couldn't as extensively wear test them specifically for rope work (wrong season now for rappelling in my area where I would go) I did wear them to perform various chores which included securing items on top of my Jeep as well as tieing pieces of a destroyed fence together. I had no issues with dexterity or function.
I found the Extrication gloves listed online for as low as $29.99 and has high as $49.99. Shop around and take your time to find good deals. The Rope gloves were available for between $29.00 and $35.99. These are only two pair of gloves that represent Ringers' step into the public safety arena. They've taken the knowledge gained in other work environments and applied it to fire, rescue and law enforcement work. I'm glad their representative sent me a couple pair. I'm glad to have them and will see how long they last!
Stay Safe!
