Technical terms

GO U - section II

Glove making is an old art and has some terms that may be unfamiliar to even the most ardent glove enthusiast!

Absorbency

The ability of a fabric to take in moisture. Absorbency is a very important property, which affects many other characteristics such as skin comfort, static build-up, shrinkage, stain removal, water repellency and wrinkle recovery.

Abrasion Resistance

The ability to resist wear from the continuous rubbing of the fabric against another surface. Garments made from fabrics that possess both high breaking strength and abrasion resistance can be worn often and for a long period of time before signs of wear appear.

Aramid

See Kevlar.

Belly

Part of the leather portion. Less dense fibre structure than other parts; economy grade.

Cabretta

A thin, fine leather made from the skin of Brazilian hair sheep.

Cape or Capeskin

A superior thin leather made from the skin of South African hair sheep.

Clute Cut

A glove style with a one piece palm with no seam at the base of the finger. There are seams along the fingers on the inside, closer to the working area.

Continuous Filament

Synthetic fibers produced in continuous form as distinguished from natural fibers which have a shorter length. See Staple.

Cowhide

The most durable garment leather, providing the best value. This leather type can be made in all weights and textures. New ways of finishing cowhide produce a sensual softness and suppleness. Cowhide is available in a wide range of shades and textures.

Cuff

The cuff is the part of the glove extending beyond the palm that covers the wrist and part of the forearm.

Drapeability

The ability of a fiber to bend easily. A flexible fiber such as acetate can be made into a highly drapeable fabric and garment. Usually, the thinner the fiber, the better the drapeability.

Elasticity

The ability to increase in length under tension and then return to the original length when released.

Fourchette

The piece of leather sewn between the fingers on some kinds of gloves. Also known as the sidewall or gusset.

Gauge

Outseam, in which the two edges of leather being sewn together are guided through the sewing machine by a "gauge" that insures that the stitching will always be a uniform distance from the edge of the leather.

Gauge

Knit Gloves: The number of needles and stitches to the inch. The more the needles the finer the knit. Heavy, bulky knit gloves are normally made on 7-10 gauge knitting machines, while finer knit gloves are made on 13 gauge machines. Latex, rubber or plastic gloves: The thickness of glove material usually measured in mills (1 mil=0.001" gauge). Lower gauge gloves allow better dexterity and flexibility while higher gauge gloves give better protection, but with less flexibility.

Gauntlet Cuff

A glove cuff designed for extra protection for the forearm. Usually a 4" cuff. Slides on and off easily and allows for maximum movement of forearm.

Grain

The side of the leather that had the hair, i.e. the outside. Full grain has the original surface, whereas corrected grain has been abraded to make the leather smoother and more uniform. Regarded for its soft, grainy texture and appearance.

Gunn Cut

A type of glove construction that has no seams on the back but has a seam at the base of the middle fingers. Finger seams are further from the working area.

Gusset

The piece of leather sewn between the fingers on some kinds of gloves. Also known as the sidewall or fourchette.

Hand

The way a fiber (glove, yarn or fabric) feels when handled. Terms like soft, crisp, dry, silky or harsh are used to describe the hand of a textile material. The type of yarn, fabric construction and finishing processes used, affect the hand of a fabric.

Handsewn

Through and through sewing, sewn by hand the old fashioned way with needle and thread.

Inseam

Seamed inside out and then turned. Strong, even, not visible on the outside.

Kevlar

Aramid fibers. Generic name for aromic polyamide fibers, consisting of synthetic polyamides in which at least 85% of the amide linkages are directly attached to the aromatic ring. The fiber is difficult to ignite. Does not propagate flame. Decomposes at about 900°F. Kevlar fibers and Kevlar fiber blends are commonly used in cut, abrasion and heat resistant gloves. Kevlar is a trademark of the DuPont Company.

Keystone Thumb

A type of glove thumb that conforms to the natural shape and position of the thumb, resulting in superior movement and comfort.

Knit Wrist

A glove cuff designed to fit snugly to the wrist.

Lambskin

A luxurious, silky leather with a very soft hand. This makes for a very wearable garment or great feeling accessory.

Leather

A hide or skin that has been preserved by a chemical process called tanning. Leather is the most ancient form of clothing known to man and only certain types are adaptable for gloves.

Nylon

Generic name for all polymers having recurring amide groups in the molecular backbone. Various types of nylon are described by numbers that relate to the number of carbon atoms in the various reactants. Effect of heat: Sticks at 445°F, Melts at 480°F, Yellows slightly at 300°F when held for 5 hours. The most extensively used type of nylon in gloves is Nylon 6/6.

Pigskin

A durable leather. When tanned on the sueded side, it produces luxurious lightweight and tight suede. When tanned on the grain side, it produces a durable Nappa. New tanning advances have yielded wonderful textures and gems of color, adding to pigskins's appeal and versatility.

Pilling

The formation of groups of short or broken fibers on the surface of a fabric, which are tangled together in the shape of a tiny ball called a pill. Hydrophobic fibers tend to pill much more than hydrophilic fibers.

Pique

(pronounced Pee-kay) One edge of leather lapped over the other and chain stitched by a special machine with a small "post" for sewing inside the fingers. Used in sewing fine dress gloves and to sew leather palms to knitted gloves.

Resiliency

The ability of a material to spring back to shape after being creased, twisted or distorted. It is closely connected with wrinkle recovery. An example of good resiliency is polyester.

Reversible Pattern

A type of glove construction that allows the glove to be worn by either hand since the thumb is situated perfectly on the side of the glove.

Safety Cuff

A glove cuff designed for general purpose. Usually a 2" cuff.

Select Shoulder

The best part of the shoulder portion of leather; rated just below side grade leather.

Sheepskin

Under the classifications of cabretta, capeskin and suede is taken from the hardy animals of cold and high altitude climates.

Shoulder

Part of a leather portion. Somewhat less consistent than the side part. Offers a good yield.

Side

The most uniform and durable portion of leather.

Sidewall

Narrow panel running down index finger and/or little finger side of glove for fuller fit and rugged look.

Silking

The draw stitch or design on the back of the gloves.

Specific Gravity

The ability of a fabric to be made thick and lofty and still be lightweight. A good example is acrylic.

Split

The result when one thick skin is literally split into two thinner pieces. The top piece has the grain on one side, while the bottom piece is sueded on both sides. It is the bottom piece that is referred to as "the split."

Straight Thumb

A type of glove thumb with a basic design that point vertically and is good for gripping.

Staple

Short lengths of synthetic fiber. The links can be tailored for utilization in the various systems of spinning in whole or part with other natural or synthetic fibers. In appearance, there is a considerable difference between fiber in the staple form and fiber in the continuous state; in the latter, it is smooth and even, while in the former, the appearance is fuzzy and irregular. Gloves made from staple fiber should be avoided when clean, lint-free, and particle-free conditions are preferred.

Strength

Some fibers are very strong, such as nylon and polyester. Others are weak, such as acetate and acrylic. Strength contributes greatly to fabric durability.

Suede

The hair side of the leather that has been buffed by an abrading machine to give a soft, burnished effect.

Welt

A thin piece of leather sewn into the seam to strengthen it. Often a welt is used in the seam at the crotch of the thumb and the base of the finger. Added to protect threads against sparks and abrasion.

Whipstitch

Overseam, most popular in casual and sport styled leather gloves.

Wickability

The ability of a fiber to transport moisture away from the skin.

Client Trademarks

All-Day® - Polygenex International, Inc.

All-Day®ESD - Polygenex International, Inc.

Armor-Paw™ - Polygenex International, Inc.

Covex™ - Polygenex International, Inc.

Tetra™ - Polygenex International, Inc.

Tetra-Glo™ - Polygenex International, Inc.