Kitchen
Whizard Handguard
Affordable, cut-resistant hand protection
These heavy-duty protective gloves are used in the restaurant industry for defense against knife and mandolin cuts and for handling trash, which often has glass and fish bones that stick through garbage bags. I read about them in a cooking magazine, and bought one after cutting myself on a mandolin. I now go in for a couple extra slices on the mandolin. I would stop sooner if I didn't have one on, and the glove has hit the blade of the mandolin often, and my hand's always safe. I hit myself once with a cleaver -- fortunately not too hard. I was black-and-blue, but not cut. I've had my glove for about three years and use it four to five times a month.
They are made of Spectra and Kevlar and, apparently, stainless steel that must be woven in, because if there is stainless steel you can't see or feel it. It just seems like Kevlar to me. I have washed mine and have not noticed any deterioration, but it feels a little stiffer and looks a little dingy at first.
They are still certainly flexible enough to carve with. It allows enough movement/dexterity for me. None of what I do (slicing vegetables on a mandolin, using a cleaver or dealing with broken glass) demands a great deal of dexterity, but I'd say wearing these gloves is about the same as wearing winter Thinsulate gloves. And The weave is much tighter than with an expensive chain mail glove, so I think it could actually be more protective in terms of guarding against knife pokes.
-- Steve Golden
$17 (one glove)
(sizes xs - xl)
Available from Magid Glove and Safety
Manufactured by Wells Lamont Industry Group
