Work Gloves; humblest of TEOTWAWKI necessities?

Ok, this may be too simple, but since I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere I'd like to mention it.
There is one often overlooked Item which, IMHO, absolutely must be in your survival arsenal/BOB. Work Gloves! Any kind of work glove, raw-hide, leather, etc... just the simplest pair from wally world will do. I have seen gloves mentioned many times as part of cold weather gear, but I think it warrants mentioning how important gloves are all year round: They are INVALUABLE.
If you are like me, you may have grown up in the city/apartments and may have never thought you needed a pair. I can assure you, as a first-time homeowner and newly dedicated prepper, that when the SHTF nothing is going to augment your ability to get things done like a simple pair of work gloves. I think those of you who grew up in the country would agree. Whether you are gardening, repairing engines/machinery, clearing land, changing tires, rummaging, hunting, fishing, etc... a pair of simple work gloves will augment your grip strength and provide invaluable protection from injury; Injuries that might cost you life or limb (especially during a SHTF Scenario.)
I have never seen a "History of Gloves" anywhere (maybe I should wikipedia it) but I'm sure that the first caveman to wrap a little bear-skin around his hands came home with more meat and less injuries than anyone else in the town of Bedrock. If you don't own a pair, step away from the computer, drive to your local hardware store/wal-mart/kla-mart/ wherever, and buy a pair for the house, then buy a pair for your BOB, and then buy another pair for TEOTWAWKI. Ok, Ok, maybe you don't need a box of them, but you get the idea... I would love to see some comments on this, maybe I'm overstating the obvious?

 

Agreed.... I especially liked my old army gloves. They were the leather shell that you could use a (wool?) liner with. I don't know if that's what they still use but they were hella durable.

The History of Gloves

Gloves appear to be of great antiquity. According to some translations of Homer's The Odyssey, Laërtes is described as wearing gloves while walking in his garden so as to avoid the brambles. (Other translations, however, insist that Laertes pulled his long sleeves over his hands.) Herodotus, in The History of Herodotus (440 BC), tells how Leotychides was incriminated by a glove (gauntlet) full of silver that he received as a bribe. Among the Romans also there are occasional references to the use of gloves. According to Pliny the Younger (ca. 100), his uncle's shorthand writer wore gloves during the winter so as not to impede the elder Pliny's work.

During the 13th century, gloves began to be worn by ladies as a fashion ornament. They were made of linen and silk, and sometimes reached to the elbow. It was not until the 16th century that they reached their greatest elaboration, however, when Queen Elizabeth I set the fashion for wearing them richly embroidered and jeweled.

Embroidered and jeweled gloves also formed part of the insignia of emperors and kings. Thus Matthew of Paris, in recording the burial of Henry II of England in 1189, mentions that he was buried in his coronation robes with a golden crown on his head and gloves on his hands. Gloves were also found on the hands of King John when his tomb was opened in 1797 and on those of King Edward I when his tomb was opened in 1774

 

I haven't owned a pair in years. I work day in, day out with my hands, so they are thick with calases (sp?). DW hands are about as rough as mine. For me it would be unneeded extra weight, but for you city boys it might be a good thing.

OGM

 

For a bulk buy I think it's 10 or more check Grainger Supply My previous employer bought them by the case for handling dirty linen rubber underneath.They were $13 a box of 10 pr.leather.

 

+1especially when we tear up the neighborhood asphalt and plant food...without earth movers.

 

Yep, a very good call! I can get by with XL work gloves, but I actually wear XXL in order to be able to properly grip something like a tool handle. Hard to find sometimes - I should lay in a stock.
I like the basic all-leather type. They are rugged and long-wearing.

 

For tactical gloves, try www.southwestmotorsports.com Pricey, but well worth the money. I wear the flight gloves and helped this company crack into the military fold. I have several different types of their gloves and love all of them. The picture on the front with a tan hand on a helicopter collective is my hand.

 

This needs a bump.
I was thinking about this the other day after I grabbed a piece of fire wood with no gloves on and a little poke from a splinter in the side of my hand. I got the splinter out right away. 2 days later it was getting red and tender. Then was fine 2 days later all on its own.
With no antibiotics you could die of a damned splinter.
I'm sure I could get double vision drunk and have someone like my sadistic wife cut it out then wash out the cut with the rest of the bottle and probably be fine. But thats a lot of work for not wearing gloves.
If you don't have any you are pretty much screwed.

 

Holy thread resurrection!

 

Much wisdom is buried in the Monkey Archive......this thread is a worthy resurrection.

A pair of work gloves is a worthy inclusion in a prepper's survival panoply. They will save many blisters, minor abrasions and burns.

A good pair of rigger's gloves will meet a variety of general purpose needs....specialised needs may required specialised gloves.

 

I have found good XXL leather work gloves on Amazon. Bought a couple pair since this thread started.
Wow, ten years ago!

 

Oh, I have plenty of gloves, Mostly mech.Welding on down to plastic or rubber for chemicals or Blood born pathogens.

 

I too maintain a broad use supply of gloves both for work and first aid ,even driving .
I wear out gloves regularly both at the finger tips and the palm and seams of the thumb and fore finger .
When I was young and dumb , I too didn't have much use for wearing gloves except in extremely cold weather and relevant working conditions .
In the compressor business my brother had me wearing gloves doing service calls, to protect the paperwork when the call was completed and keep the cab and steering wheel clean. saved a lot of hand washing .
Nitrile gloves are cheap ,compared to al the solvents that penetrate the skin. .
Also doing fiber-Glass work with resins and acetone and other chemicals .
My last job working in medical prosthetic manufacturing my job included wearing 2 and 3 different gloves at once, it was that critical. .
At home I do welding and machine work and not without wearing appropriate gloves .Even gardening and thinning the trees I find gloves save a lot of misery .
My hands use to be callused like a brick mason ( I grew up doing concrete with dad )
But most of my callouses are gone now and though I have the scars of the past they remind me of how life could have been much better had I learned the value of gloves much sooner.
BTW my winter gloving for severe weather is a military wool glove and leather mitten over them.
I have 2 different pair for the motor cycle , calf skin for the summer and thinsulated gloves for the winter .I no longer live in snow country but it still gets humid cold as the mountains some times .

 

I have a very contrary opinion on this,

I dont think gloves are a good idea except for medical and keeping your hands warm, you hands will need to develop callus's

 

Oh you can get calluses with gloves. Swinging a sledge hammer is the best way I have found.

 

No doubt callouses have their place , and certainly more conditioned for hard work ,but,
I have had tasks that require a softer touch than I was able to perform, due to my big tough hands .
And when I cant do something, it bothers me.
I wear gloves driving both in the car /truck and on the motorcycle for several reasons.
In the event of an accident I can shield glass from my face and move it safely off me and my passenger if necessary.
If some one is on the hot asphalt amongst a lot of broken glass and can be moved to safety , I am prepared .
If debris on the road can be removed safely ,having gloves on makes the task safer and easier .
If you have to stop in an emergency , find your gloves and put them on before doing any thing, you won't do it .
One big reason I prefer leather over synthetic gloves for rescue events is they won't melt to your skin in a fire.
Latex gloves are for medical emergencies and those are imperative in this day and age , for reasons I shouldn't have to get into,
I've used latex gloves working on machinery and they work to keep chemicals off and far less hand washing ,it takes a while to get accustomed to and they tear easily. Better they tear than me.
Do any of you know how to handle a downed power line ?
In a post apocalyptic event with live wires down across your roads and no one professionally available to handle it ,what are you prepared to do , survivalist ?