Purchasing Tips From ‘The Gloveman’

Here are a few tips from “The Gloveman” on buying baseball gloves:

--Always buy a glove that’s all-leather. If you scratch it and you don’t see any pores opening, it’s probably not all-leather.

--Avoid styrofoam padding, because if the glove gets wet it may go to pieces after the padding cracks and breaks. (With cotton and horsehair, you can let the glove dry naturally.)

Chilton tests a glove’s quality by sticking a safety pin in the pocket. If the pin comes out slowly there is some rubber or styrofoam inside. If it comes out fast, the padding is horsehair or cotton and of much better quality.

--Don’t depend on salesmen. Chilton says few are expert on the subject.

--Get a guarantee or warranty.

--The laces on a glove go first. Work with oils to break them in.