Woodcarver's glove

[Michael Ray Smith]

Well, after three years of learning to do woodworking the Neanderthal way, I finally cut my finger badly enough with a chisel that I had it sutured. My finger, not the chisel. Don't get me wrong -- I've cut myself innumerable times before and some of them probably SHOULD have been sutured, but this time my wife insisted I get it taken care of properly.

The next day, I dropped by the local Woodcraft franchise, just to look around, and I found this protective glove made from Kevlar and other stuff. I probably should have sent this message first, but I went ahead and bought one. The weave is loose enough that I think it will not be uncomfortably hot, but it also means that the glove won't protect against pointy things like awls and knife tips. That doesn't bother me because I don't use any knives other than a marking knife and I can't recall poking myself with an awl. I think the weave is tight enough to separate my flesh from chisels, which are by far the most frequent culprit.

Does anyone else use this glove or anything similar?

http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2001342/Woodcarvers-Safety-Glove.aspx

[James Owen]

It's a useful glove. It does a good job of preventing slashing type cuts, but as you pointed out, not much protection against jabs.
If you get it a bit loose, it's a lot more comfortable over a longer period of time.
They tend to wear out more from abrasion than from cutting, so if you'll be repeatedly rubbing parts of the glove against something rough, if possible, you might want to put a smoother surface of some sort between the rough surface and the glove.

[Jim Koepke]

On an episode of the wood carving program on the DIY network carving gloves were mentioned by someone who doesn't use them. He uses the same technique for avoiding cuts as me… make sure body parts are not in the path of a blade when cutting or when it might slip.

My cuts have been minor and usually occur at times when there wouldn't be a glove on my hand to protect it.

My education seems to increase every time something dumb is done like reaching blindly into a box of chisels or leaving them helter skelter on the bench top.

jtk

[Jim Matthews]

This is the one I use (http://www.selectsafetysales.com/p-259-kevlar-kutgard-cut-resistant-seamless-knit-gloves-w-pvc-grips.aspx).

It pulls double-duty when I shuck oysters.
It's washable.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

The biggest thing that has helped prevent almost all cuts for me is to find a way to always find a way to clamp the work. With both hands on the tool, they're both always behind the cutting edge. Just keeping my fingers away from the path of the blade is a big one too, of course, but I always try to work in a way that limits the range of motion.

[Dave Lehnert]

Gloves like that are standard issue for Butchers / Meat Cutters.

[Michael Ray Smith]

Thanks, all. The range of perspectives is very useful. The reason I had second thoughts about buying it is essentially the same thing that Jim K. and Joshua said -- Unlike with carving (and with shucking oysters!), with what I do, there are good ways to keep my hands from being in the way if a chisels slips. And, like Jim K. said, most cuts probably happen at times when I wouldn't have the glove on anyway.

One of the reasons I like hand tools rather than power tools is that the potential injuries are less serious, even if (as George Wilson once pointed out) they're more frequent just because your hands are in closer poximity to the cutting edges. However, I've had two cuts, including this last one, that reminded me that even a chisel could do some serious damage to hands, especially to tendons and nerves. I don't use a coping saw very often, but a friend who is a carpenter pointed out they they, too, can do serious damage because a single stroke across a finder can go well into the bone.

So when I saw this glove, I thought it might be worth a try. I'll keep it and see if it proves useful, but the primary lesson I've learned is to be more careful to begin with, to keep my work bench from getting cluttered, and to take the time to clamp the workpiece in place, even if it's just one little spot that needs a little more paring.

[Bill White]

I use Kevlar gloves while sharpening knives, chisels, plane blades,etc. I use slow speed stuff, and NEVER wear a glove (s) when using the bench grinder or any high rpm equip. The idea of getting that glove caught creeps me out BIG TIME.
My gloves don't have the green dots.
Bill