Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
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Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
Inspired by Holt's awesome Mystery of the Blues Builder's thread (https://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=73464) I've been working on picking out some more MotB pieces for myself, and currently I'm on the hunt for a pair of winter gloves.
I've been doing a lot of research, and wanted to share what I consider to be the best 'close enough' options available right now. If anyone else finds options that are closer, please share them here as well! My wish would be to find a pair of SA gloves, but without doing a deep dive into the secondhand market, my efforts to find an SA options on sale right now from a mass retailer are coming up empty.
In general, it doesn't seem to be that hard to find a pair of gloves that look right on the outside. But getting the right exterior look with the correct lining and side split so that you can fold the gloves up (as pictured below) has proven nearly impossible (at least for me). If you're willing to settle for something with a cashmere or thinsulate lining, though, the world is your oyster.
That said, here are the best options I have found with pros & cons.
1. Alpa Gloves HU Men's lamb fur lined gloves - Dark BROWN - hairsheep leather https://www.etsy.com/listing/1372616373 ... rs=1&sts=1
Pros/Cons: This pair has slight inaccuracies in the outer glove design, but to me they seem closest to getting the complete package. Pros: They are the right shade of brown leather, have three lines across the top of the glove, a split to fold back the wrist, and are lined with white/natural lamb's wool shearling. Cons: the split is on the bottom center of the wrist rather than the side of the glove as Indy's seem to be. Also the three lines at the top are a different style than you find on the pair of vintage gloves Holt found. That aside, given the low-res images of the originals, these lines could still be considered SA. I don't think you can prove that the top lines didn't look like this.
2. Overland Men's Noble Shearling-Lined Lambskin Leather Gloves - https://www.overland.com/products/mens- ... gKl6fD_BwE
Pros/Cons: These seems like a pretty spot-on match from the outside. The right color leather, side split, and they do have a shearling liner. The main drawback is that the liner is dark brown rather than a white/cream tone, so if you want to roll the wrist back like Indy does you won't get the same two-tone look. Also, this liner looks more fur-like in texture than the natural wool texture that Indy's seem to have.
3. / Wild Card: Karl Lagerfeld Wool Lined Leather Gloves https://www.farfetch.com/shopping/men/k ... reid=11920
Pros/Cons: I put these in the 'wild card' category because they look right on the outside (apart from the KL tag you'd have to remove), but there isn't enough information about the liner. They say 'wool lined' which most likely means cashmere or some kind of wool fabric, which would put these in the same camp as a lot of other readily available options. But, there's always a chance it's the wool that we're after... So, honestly, they probably aren't the droids we're looking for, but if someone wanted to roll the dice, there's a chance these could be a surprise win.
I've been doing a lot of research, and wanted to share what I consider to be the best 'close enough' options available right now. If anyone else finds options that are closer, please share them here as well! My wish would be to find a pair of SA gloves, but without doing a deep dive into the secondhand market, my efforts to find an SA options on sale right now from a mass retailer are coming up empty.
In general, it doesn't seem to be that hard to find a pair of gloves that look right on the outside. But getting the right exterior look with the correct lining and side split so that you can fold the gloves up (as pictured below) has proven nearly impossible (at least for me). If you're willing to settle for something with a cashmere or thinsulate lining, though, the world is your oyster.
That said, here are the best options I have found with pros & cons.
1. Alpa Gloves HU Men's lamb fur lined gloves - Dark BROWN - hairsheep leather https://www.etsy.com/listing/1372616373 ... rs=1&sts=1
Pros/Cons: This pair has slight inaccuracies in the outer glove design, but to me they seem closest to getting the complete package. Pros: They are the right shade of brown leather, have three lines across the top of the glove, a split to fold back the wrist, and are lined with white/natural lamb's wool shearling. Cons: the split is on the bottom center of the wrist rather than the side of the glove as Indy's seem to be. Also the three lines at the top are a different style than you find on the pair of vintage gloves Holt found. That aside, given the low-res images of the originals, these lines could still be considered SA. I don't think you can prove that the top lines didn't look like this.
2. Overland Men's Noble Shearling-Lined Lambskin Leather Gloves - https://www.overland.com/products/mens- ... gKl6fD_BwE
Pros/Cons: These seems like a pretty spot-on match from the outside. The right color leather, side split, and they do have a shearling liner. The main drawback is that the liner is dark brown rather than a white/cream tone, so if you want to roll the wrist back like Indy does you won't get the same two-tone look. Also, this liner looks more fur-like in texture than the natural wool texture that Indy's seem to have.
3. / Wild Card: Karl Lagerfeld Wool Lined Leather Gloves https://www.farfetch.com/shopping/men/k ... reid=11920
Pros/Cons: I put these in the 'wild card' category because they look right on the outside (apart from the KL tag you'd have to remove), but there isn't enough information about the liner. They say 'wool lined' which most likely means cashmere or some kind of wool fabric, which would put these in the same camp as a lot of other readily available options. But, there's always a chance it's the wool that we're after... So, honestly, they probably aren't the droids we're looking for, but if someone wanted to roll the dice, there's a chance these could be a surprise win.
- fifthchamber
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
I was similarly inspired by Holt's glove search, and had a look around, and settled on a pair of M-387G winter flyer's gloves from the USN in the second war..Since I believe those would be accurate to something Indy would have handled, and definitely something he'd have worn too..The ones from Eastman Leather looked great, except for the USN print on the back of the wrist, and although the rolled over shearling isn't needed, since the glove has the shearling wrist already on the outside, I figured that look worked fine and I rather like the contrast..
I just have the feeling that Indy would have gone for gloves that were rugged, not especially "Gentleman's" gloves, and war related stuff would have come his way in the course of his life too, so, these made a lot of sense to me..
I'm just about to head off to my friend's shop in Saitama, Japan to pick them up, and if it works okay, I'll post pics with the USN removal when I start it too..A touch of sanding should have the letters faded easily enough, as the originals were...
https://www.eastmanleather.com/gloves/1 ... inter.html
I just have the feeling that Indy would have gone for gloves that were rugged, not especially "Gentleman's" gloves, and war related stuff would have come his way in the course of his life too, so, these made a lot of sense to me..
I'm just about to head off to my friend's shop in Saitama, Japan to pick them up, and if it works okay, I'll post pics with the USN removal when I start it too..A touch of sanding should have the letters faded easily enough, as the originals were...
https://www.eastmanleather.com/gloves/1 ... inter.html
Last edited by fifthchamber on Fri Feb 10, 2023 7:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- fifthchamber
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
These are the ones I was able to get sent over to his shop! It’ll be fun to see the work I can put in on distressing them lightly to remove the USN
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- Indiana Jeff
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
I like the look of the Alpa and the Eastman USN gloves. Thanks for doing the research. I look forward to seeing how the USN gloves distress.
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
- Indiana Jeff
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
A quick and dirty search turned up these.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274503653985?m ... media=COPY
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274503653985?m ... media=COPY
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
- fifthchamber
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
I’ve worked over the gloves a little tonight, just in high contact areas with a very fine sandpaper cloth..
That, I think, should do, since a little of the USN remaining works very well for Indy I reckon!
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That, I think, should do, since a little of the USN remaining works very well for Indy I reckon!
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- Indiana Jeff
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
Looks good. You could try hitting the rest with a Sharpie to darken the lettering a little more. I imagine the lettering will continue to wear off as you use them too.
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
- fifthchamber
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
Hey Jeff,
Yeah! Exactly the plan! A sharpie would work for sure, although, it can leave a small edge around the coloured areas that I'm not sure would look so great... So I might just leave them to natural wear now, and see how the fall out? The ones in the Eastman site, the original pair they had, have faded entirely, so it's clearly what happens... At the moment they look used, and in a few months of solid wear I'm sure they'll fade entirely!
Thanks for the advice!
Yeah! Exactly the plan! A sharpie would work for sure, although, it can leave a small edge around the coloured areas that I'm not sure would look so great... So I might just leave them to natural wear now, and see how the fall out? The ones in the Eastman site, the original pair they had, have faded entirely, so it's clearly what happens... At the moment they look used, and in a few months of solid wear I'm sure they'll fade entirely!
Thanks for the advice!
- Indiana Jeff
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
Agreed, best to let them weather naturally.
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
- Dalexs
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
So the ones on the Eastman site look way lighter, is that just the lighting in the site?
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- fifthchamber
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
Since I'm in Japan, I ordered ones made by a reproduction company here, so it may be that they used a slightly darker skin? But leather choices vary even in one skin dye line, so the variation is probably to be expected somewhat too....They had three for me to try and I went with the one that was closest to the Indy jackets I have, a little dark I guess...And then the Pecards I gave it in the photo too, darkened it up a little more, although that's dried now...
The first pic I posted is close to the Eastman site colour I'd judge, but in hand, and oiled, they're a touch darker...The second photo there is directly after the Pecards...
The first pic I posted is close to the Eastman site colour I'd judge, but in hand, and oiled, they're a touch darker...The second photo there is directly after the Pecards...
- fifthchamber
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
The day after the Pecards, and in the sunlight.. excuse the rabbit to the side..
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- fifthchamber
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
And with my Steele and Jones Crusade jacket as a balance for colour..
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- Indiana Jeff
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Re: Best MotB Gloves Currently Available
Looks great!
Regards,
Indiana Jeff
Regards,
Indiana Jeff