gloves

[Les Maxwell]

If like me you have been told "you cannot call yourself a real waller as you wear gloves when working".

I tend to wear builders latex coated palm gloves and buy them in packs as and when I need them from one of my local building suppliers. The problem is that the price and quality can range a great deal depending who supplies the builders merchants. The most expensive ones are not always the best quality.

I have just discovered that these gloves are subject to a Mechanical test data range of between 0-4 in accordance with EN388 covering:
Abrasion resistance 0-4
Cut resistance 0-4
Tear resistance 0-4
Puncture resistance 0-4
A score of 4 indicates the maximum level of performance. Gloves are coded i.e. 3142 this means abrasion resistance is 3, cut resistance is 1, tear resistance is 4 and puncture resistance is 2.

I hope this information may be of some help to any of us who are not "proper" wallers

Les Maxwell

[Shirley M Addy]

Wot macho rubbish about not being a proper waller if you wear gloves! For some time, I've been aware of the four-digit codes for gloves. When I last ordered my next badge of gloves, I wanted those knitted gloves with UPVC/latex palms, because those all-UPVC ones which are the best against abrasion make hands stink for days afterwards. However to make sure they did not tear after stripping down one wall, I spent some time looking at various gloves on the internet. The end of it is that I bought 2.2.4.3, which are fine. If you really want gloves much closer to 4.4.4.4 you'll have to spend a fortune and there's no way of knowing how long they would last. It also depends on what type of stone you are working on.

[Nigel]

Yes, gloves are the sensible thing to wear nowadays, maybe in years gone by it could have been okay, now there can be lots of glass and other unpleasant things lurking in a wall. A generation ago the waller would have walked home, I need to get in to my truck and drive home, I also need to have a spot of lunch at some point.

I am trying to work out why people who say things like 'you are not a real waller if you wear gloves when working'. It must be the same uneducated breed of person who thinks I am gay because I dont watch football on the telly.

Hey ho, rant over, thanks for the 4 digit system information, I buy the same gloves from the same guy on ebay all the time, I think they are scaffolding gloves, Oh, if you ant a laugh, try taking the piss out of a scaffolder for wearing gloves. We will send you flowers to your hospital.

[GregLee]

I always wear leather gloves, they last me a few months but then I'm not a real waller anyway, I only work an hour or two per day. I don't understand why anyone would want rough callused hands, and these days protective clothing is compulsory in many jobs. If you are in the sun all day you need to keep your skin covered anyway.
That's interesting about the ratings, will have to have a look next time.

[jerryg]

I find that whatever gloves I buy always get worn out fairly quickly so what I do is I mend the holes in my gloves with orange jaffa tape, (it's like gaffertape but far stronger and stickier). I may go through a couple of my mended gloves a day and chuck newly holed ones in a heap until I get round to washing and taping them up again every month or so.
A £4 roll of tape will keep a pack of 12 decent gloves going for ages.


I may look odd with bright orange tips to my gloves but but then I am a Yorkshireman who was brought up to hate spending money unneccessarily when I can make-do-and-mend.

[david perry]

Well you learn something every day!!

I'm going to have to 'impress' Mrs P with my new found knowledge of EN388 and performance glov es.

I don't climb rock so much these days. And would never dream of doing so with gloves on.

But I never wall without wearing those latex/fabric backed builders gloves, mainly because I can't stand getting my hands bloody filthy, then trying to clean them to eat, pee, answer the rare mobile call, get mud all over my van and so on.

But then I've never watched a game of football or cricket in my life. I really don't give a damm what anyone might think.

[GregLee]

I agree about keeping your hands clean, but walling does tend to be a very dirty business. It is funny these days that so many people are so paranoid about dirt, they think it is all contamination. Walling teaches you there is nothing wrong with a bit of dirt, you won't get sick by just touching it.

[Les Maxwell]

The problem with the EN388 test data is that is taken from the palm area of the glove. As it tends to be the thumb, index and middle finger tips that wear out with walling.
Two recent gloves I have tried both rated at 3142. The first pair called “ace grip” from Ultimate Industrial Wolverhampton and lasted a couple of days and cost £1.20. The second pair at £1.00 called “so safe” but a more appropriate name should be “so s...t” as they lasted about 30 minutes. The quality of gloves must be based around the thickness and quality of the latex.
Jerry I was wondering instead of using Jaffa tape to repair gloves would it be worth using the Jaffa tape around the tips of fingers on a new pair of gloves and replacing the tape as and when this wears through thus preserving the gloves. I will give it a try when I buy some tape.
Gregg you Aussies are very much on the ball regarding covering your skin up. It’s hard to believe that here in the UK we have more cases of malignant melanomas (the worst case of skin cancer) than Australia.
Now try to get “real wallers “ in the UK who do not wear gloves to wear a hat and sun protected clothing not to mention using sunscreen, heaven forbid!!!!!!!!

Les

[Nigel]

Half the fun in the summer is trying to talk a female dog walker or horse rider to rub a bit of cream in my back and shoulders.

I can never keep a straight face when I ask, got away with it once

Try it, it lightens up the days.

Whoops, just realised this is in the public area.

[jerryg]

Jerry I was wondering instead of using Jaffa tape to repair gloves would it be worth using the Jaffa tape around the tips of fingers on a new pair of gloves and replacing the tape as and when this wears through thus preserving the gloves. I will give it a try when I buy some tape.
Les

Hey good idea, I never thought of that, I'll try it out when I next have a new pair of gloves.

My mum got skin cancer on her leg 30 years ago and I doubt, due to her long dresses, that her legs ever saw light of day at any time ever.

When I got cancer 11 years ago I must have had my mouth open too much cos it was tongue cancer. Teach me not to talk to people and just grunt as they go by.

[earlgrey]

I am aware that this thread was for gloves, but i was wondering if anyone here has tried Dickies clothing? i heard its quite good for work-wear

[david perry]

I can't comment on the clothes - as I either wear overalls in winter or dungarees in warmer weather. In very warm weather I wear shorts and old teeshirts.

But I've been using Showa 310 gloves. Brilliant! They easily last me far more than a week which was what my old gloves did. And bought from E-bay they are even cheaper than the ones I got from builders merchants)!!!

[Schmaltz]

I am aware that this thread was for gloves, but i was wondering if anyone here has tried Dickies clothing? i heard its quite good for work-wear

I've got some dickies. They seem fine to me for workwear Earl.

[david perry]

Re Dickies clothing:-

Its been around a while. I've had a pair of overalls from them (£18?). Didn't last any longer than other brands I've had. I'm currently wearing some thicker Scandinavian ones but the knee in one leg has gone above the reinforced knee pad!! But then I only paid £10 in a local hardwear store last year (too hot for summer).

[Les Maxwell]

David, like you I find the Showa 310 an excellent glove and can last more than a week.

In this cold weather you could try the Showa 451 thermal gloves these have a heavier woven inner and keep you hands nice and cosy, however your finger tips do still feel the cold.

They are a bit more expensive but just the job in this weather.