Kinco Ski Gloves
Look on the hands of the person wrangling chairs or patrolling at your local ski hill. You'll probably see an old-school insulated leather glove made by workwear supplier Kinco. Now, there are slightly warmer and more dexterous technical gloves out there made specifically for skiing, but would you change your oil or weld with $100 Hestra Army gloves? I haven't found a more durable, warm, or better value work glove than Kinco’s for the cold and snow.
The pair I have so far has lasted through four years of welding, skiing, snow shoveling and carpentry. They've been drenched in motor oil, covered in antifreeze, and nearly frozen solid in an ice storm while I was skiing. My hands have stayed happy.
The most care they require is a coat or two of Sno-Seal every season. Unlike synthetic gloves, they aren't fazed by heat and flame. I've found that the Kinco 901 gloves paired with some cheap silk liners is enough to keep my hands warm until it gets below 5F or so.
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Kinco
Favorite (15)
jlbraun
Submitter here. Skiers say these put to shame gloves costing six to ten times more, and I believe them. The back is a single layer of pigskin, the palm is a double layer of pigskin stitched with heavy nylon thread, insulation is thicker in key areas, and the leather strip on the cuff helps you pull them on easier (a lot of resort workers use a Sharpie to write their initials on the pull strip too).
The other Kinco glove you might also see on the hill is the 1927KW ($10). (It's interesting to note that ski fashion company Spyder released a nearly stitch-for-stitch copy of the 1927KW and tried to sell it for $120!)
Lastly, a warning: if you wear either the #901 or the #1927KW skiing, the employees are going to think you work there. :)
Mb
I agree wholeheartedly. My 901s saw over 90 days of use patrolling last season in the Sierras, and are still in terrific shape. 95% of our patrol wears these gloves everyday. Their durability is unparalleled, and when paired with some lines and snoseal, they are nigh but waterproof. A tremendous investment for anyone who plays in the snow.
For warmer days: the 90HK, a shorter deerskin glove has all the attributes of the 901, but comes without the long cuff, allowing some venting of heat.
christopher
Definitely a legit Cool Tool entry!
Now, can someone recommend good fireplace gloves? I have a pair of welding gloves I use, and they are getting a little worn in spots. I'm looking to replace, probably with another pair of welders, but if anyone has a rec I'd listen.
-C
Curtis
The link to Keep Safe Solutions doesn't work anymore and I can't find them on their website. I did find them on Amazon being sold through another company (Gloves Online, Inc).
elon
@ Curtis: Thanks for pointing that out. I changed the link to Amazon. They're considerably more at $22 (Keep Safe Solutiona had been selling them for $15) but they are in stock right now. -es
rufus
I've never used their ski gloves, but Kinco insulated pigskin gloves with the knit cuff are staples at our farm. Pigskin is durable and most importantly dries soft after getting wet, whereas cowhide gloves can become useless after getting wet as they dry stiff. The knit cuffs are important if you work with chainsaws or hay, etc., as they keep debris from getting in and permanently clogging the fingers of the glove.
We go through a few pairs a year, but that's because we use them hard. I often get them at Gempler's for about 15 bucks. The uninsulated styles are good for working in warm weather, but often I use the insulated ones even in summer as they damp vibrations from power tools pretty well. They are widely available elsewhere but often stores only stock the large size which are too big for my hands. Gempler's was a subject of Cool Tools a long while back and is a great source for workwear and general outdoor/light industrial tools and supplies.