Cooling off period complete!

[ANNASDAD]

Here’s a few pics of my new NP6, I’ll refrain from any lace talk! This makes 4 different NP pattern gloves I own, it’s quite funny that everyone I have are completely different from each other, this NP6 looks and feels nothing like my other custom H-web NP6. The shape and flatter profile are closer to my Horween NP7. Guess I’ll give that to the I-web.

This glove is beautiful, as in really nice! This tan leather is gorgeous! The Royal patch, logos, and embroidery......on a Rawlings is just wrong, as in sacreligious, but they do look great!

My Black and Tan custom NP6 is overall larger than this glove, in fact my I feel my 11.75” NP5 is the same size if not just a small tad larger than this glove.

Positive points:

**This Jtan leather is awesome, as in super nice and really stiff!
**Stitching, welting, embroidery are perfect!
**The best tan laces of any new Rawlings I’ve bought in the last 5 or 6 years, I’ll stop right there!
**The Royal Blue patch and logos really pop hard and loud against this tan leather!
**The shearling is really short and tight.
**Money shot, the matching Jtan tan liner is just flat out awesome! I wanted the dark tan liner like I have in my other NP6, I’m so glad @mv_mkv and @meyergy talked me into the matching tan liner, it is fantastic!
**I know I’ve already mentioned the welting, it’s perfect!
**I HATE the MLB logo, no other way around it! Guess that’s a negative!

Talked to Rous this evening, no way of re-lacing the web itself without removing the web spiral lace, which I hate, the spiral and fingertip lace are so nice! I’ll start the break in first and then re-lace the web later when I can find some nice matching lace.

I talked the other two guys into the narrow fit, it fits me like it was made for me, hope it fits you guys great also!

I want to apologize for my pissy post this morning when I opened the box, I do scratch my head when it comes to Rawlings and their lace, but I’ll stop right there!

@milocoman, thank you for all you do, I appreciate it!

Here’s a couple of lonely hotel pics!

 

[ANNASDAD]

 

[ANNASDAD]

This glove might just have the strongest, most perfect smell of any new glove I’ve ever bought, hotel room smells great!

 

[StickCollector]

That is a very nice looking glove. Can't wait for the 504 to show up.

 

[Bow Commander]

That's purdyyyy!

 

[Rous]

That the top bar lace is a bit mangled might be an issue with the hide rather than the install. I have seen that before. By the time you get it broken in, the lace will start to acquire some patina and you won't even notice it.

 

[ANNASDAD]

My NP family, I love this pattern! Pretty sure the 11.75” NP5 Spring Trainer is my favorite.....for now!

 

[ANNASDAD]

That the top bar lace is a bit mangled might be an issue with the hide rather than the install.

Okay, I can get that.....but I’m in a business that for the customer, it’s ALL about the fit and finish, no matter how destroyed their car was before their accident, most could care less about the structural side of it, they just want it to be pretty again, no matter what it took to get it back to pre-collision condition!

So there’s no doubt in my mind the technician who laced this glove saw that section of lace that was mangled, so throw it away and start over.....or just put that same POS lace in it and not worry about it, not their problem! Finding pride in craftsmanship is getting harder and harder to come by! Perfect lace and lace install “should” be the easiest part of putting a new glove together from scratch, but obviously not, it’s yet to happen for me!

On a positive note, got to use it the last two days, awesome pattern, awesome size, fits me perfectly, it’s going to be a great glove!

EDIT: was thinking about this and had to say it......Rous, there's no way you or Dan either one would have ever put that crimped piece of lace in a customers glove, never!

 

[Rous]

Okay, I can get that.....but I’m in a business that for the customer, it’s ALL about the fit and finish, no matter how destroyed their car was before their accident, most could care less about the structural side of it, they just want it to be pretty again, no matter what it took to get it back to pre-collision condition!

So there’s no doubt in my mind the technician who laced this glove saw that section of lace that was mangled, so throw it away and start over.....or just put that same POS lace in it and not worry about it, not their problem! Finding pride in craftsmanship is getting harder and harder to come by! Perfect lace and lace install “should” be the easiest part of putting a new glove together from scratch, but obviously not, it’s yet to happen for me!

On a positive note, got to use it the last two days, awesome pattern, awesome size, fits me perfectly, it’s going to be a great glove!

EDIT: was thinking about this and had to say it......Rous, there's no way you or Dan either one would have ever put that crimped piece of lace in a customers glove, never!

True. And its hard too see from the pics posted. Haha, I prob would save that lace though and use it for my own glove!

 

[Rous]

My NP family, I love this pattern! Pretty sure the 11.75” NP5 Spring Trainer is my favorite.....for now!
View attachment 65556 View attachment 65557

For how many years was I telling you to get an NP6 before you finally got one? (or am I remembering this wrong?)

 

[ANNASDAD]

For how many years was I telling you to get an NP6 before you finally got one? (or am I remembering this wrong?)

When I first started this glove thing when Anna was really young, I bombarded you with questions about the closest match to my XLO that you restored for me, I’m pretty sure your response or recommendation to me was a Pro504, or at least that’s what stands out in my mind.

I bought a retail Seager NP6 out of the blue but never really gave it a chance, after trading it for a Pro1000 to Party Mafia I always regretted not giving it a try and wanted another. There was none out there to buy so I eventually ordered my custom Black and Tan NP6.

Man you’re the professor, you’re supposed to have a better memory than me! The 504 is standing out in my mind.....which lately isn’t saying a whole lot!

 

[Rous]

When I first started this glove thing when Anna was really young, I bombarded you with questions about the closest match to my XLO that you restored for me, I’m pretty sure your response or recommendation to me was a Pro504, or at least that’s what stands out in my mind.

I bought a retail Seager NP6 out of the blue but never really gave it a chance, after trading it for a Pro1000 to Party Mafia I always regretted not giving it a try and wanted another. There was none out there to buy so I eventually ordered my custom Black and Tan NP6.

Man you’re the professor, you’re supposed to have a better memory than me! The 504 is standing out in my mind.....which lately isn’t saying a whole lot!

We has so many discussions! I just looked back at our emails and they start in 2014! And you are right, it was the 504 as you were looking for a 12.25" glove (the NP7 didn't exist back then). The NP7 is probably is the closest thing to your XL-O that Rawlings offers..

 

[ANNASDAD]

We has so many discussions! I just looked back at our emails and they start in 2014!

Yep, I was a glove pup back then! I'll have to agree with my wife about you, you started this glove mess for me, we both hold you solely responsible for the amount of glove purchases I've made since 2014, even though she really has NO idea how many gloves that actually is! Well, she probably does! Can't speak for her, or probably better that I don't, but I can't thank you enough for the help you've given me since back in the day!

 

[Hiltz]

So there’s no doubt in my mind the technician who laced this glove saw that section of lace that was mangled, so throw it away and start over.....or just put that same POS lace in it and not worry about it, not their problem! Finding pride in craftsmanship is getting harder and harder to come by!

The second batch of pics clearly shows a "Made in Phillipines" tag, that glove was probably laced by a child.

 

[Rous]

The second batch of pics clearly shows a "Made in Phillipines" tag, that glove was probably laced by a child.

Since lacing gloves is probably not considered hazardous,15 year olds may (legally) work in the factory, but probably not in the custom shop. If it's considered hazardous, the min age would be 18. Under age 15, kids can old work with parents (like on a farm). Sure, people will try to break the rules (damn regulations!), but Rawlings probably doesn't want to get caught up in that.

 

[tonys1]

Not a glove guy compared to you guys, but from my perspective I don't even know if those people lacing your glove even think it's a big deal. I follow Davis Relacing on IG and after you see his work, it's easy to recognize and appreciate a top notch lacing job and how that attention to detail makes a glove really stand out. A Rawlings employee's performance is probably measured more on productivity than random spot checks on the quality of their lacing. Even the gloves for sale on their website all look like crap after you've seen Dan's work. There's attention to every curve and every knot.

AD, you're in the auto industy and maybe this is a stupid example, but a professional detailer will buy a brand new car off the lot and can rant on how awful the paint job is. He will paint correct it, ***** about all the iron particles and contaminants when he does iron remover / clay and be fully satisfied after applying a ceramic coat after putting 8-10 hours to get their paint done "right". To the average person, they won't even pay attention to any of that stuff, they'll be in love with their brand new, "flawless" car.

Good news is you got some friends here who can relace to the color and look you want!

 

[ANNASDAD]

No that’s not a stupid example, I see anywhere from 2 to 10 transports full of brand new Toyota’s and Mazda’s every week and although not super common, a scratch or small dent will happen to some of these new vehicles. My painter is awesome, he actually has to dumb down his paint repair to match the new paint on these cars that have anywhere from 1 to 5 miles on the odometer. But you’d have to know paint, and have a eye like my painter to realize how much better his work is, most people would have no idea!

 

[tonys1]

Yeah for sure, like you said a lot of people might miss that and your painter will buff it or do a small blend. Detailers are on another level though.

"OMG look at how much iron was in the paint of this BRAND NEW car. They transport these things under the worst conditions, Mazda is horrible at this. OMG look at my clay bar, this is a BRAND NEW car."

 

[ANNASDAD]

Good news is you got some friends here who can relace to the color and look you want!

Very true, but look at it through my eyes, this is a custom that I waited on for 5 1/2 months, and it was ordered with the color and look I wanted! This isn’t a retail HOH from DSG, it’s a custom! I’ve calmed down over it, but.....still absolutely no excuse for the lace in this CUSTOM! There was three of these custom NP6’s made, three! How hard would it have been for someone to inspect these three gloves?

I’ve never met Jeffrey, he’s probably done 10 gloves total for me and some other players that I’ve sent their gloves to him. I’m always blown away, the attention to detail is glaringly obvious, I’ve never been disappointed, ever!

I did meet Dan at a HS here in NC probably two years ago now, I watched him lace a new Horween GW and then watched him lace the web, web spiral, and fingertips in my then new Horween NP7 that also had some pretty pathetic lace! It was very fun and interesting watching him work on those two gloves!

He’s absolutely a professional at his craft, he watched his son play, carried on a conversation with me, watched everything going on around him and it seemed like he never really paid attention to what he was doing, all repetition and memory! I remember that impressing me so much, no way ever could I do it the way Dan did, I have to say focused! And his work was PERFECT!

 

[tonys1]

Very true, but look at it through my eyes, this is a custom that I waited on for 5 1/2 months, and it was ordered with the color and look I wanted! This isn’t a retail HOH from DSG, it’s a custom! I’ve calmed down over it, but.....still absolutely no excuse for the lace in this CUSTOM! There was three of these custom NP6’s made, three! How hard would it have been for someone to inspect these three gloves?

I’ve never met Jeffrey, he’s probably done 10 gloves total for me and some other players that I’ve sent their gloves to him. I’m always blown away, the attention to detail is glaringly obvious, I’ve never been disappointed, ever!

I did meet Dan at a HS here in NC probably two years ago now, I watched him lace a new Horween GW and then watched him lace the web, web spiral, and fingertips in my then new Horween NP7 that also had some pretty pathetic lace! It was very fun and interesting watching him work on those two gloves!

He’s absolutely a professional at his craft, he watched his son play, carried on a conversation with me, watched everything going on around him and it seemed like he never really paid attention to what he was doing, all repetition and memory! I remember that impressing me so much, no way ever could I do it the way Dan did, I have to say focused! And his work was PERFECT!

Totally get where you're coming from. At the risk of sounding Karen-ish, have you tried / considered contacting them and explaining that to them? Are they going to hire a bunch of Dan's to lace their custom glove orders? Probably not, but it might get someone on-shore to empathize with you, ask you to send some pictures and say "this guy's right, call the PH office right now, I need to talk to the supervisor there". You come off as someone who is respectful and well-spoken, it might be worth a try.

One of the issues with sending stuff off-shore is they don't necessarily understand the end user's priority. To them, life is very much about simple things like family and not getting your home crushed by a tsunami. I'm not mocking that at all or making any excuses, but I've sub-contracted work there in the past. You buy consumer products if absolutely necessary, not as a nice to have. How your laces look could legitimately be something that is mind-blowing to them. "Does your glove catch the ball? So what's the issue?". Maybe they do need a call from corporate reminding them that the guys who order customs expect premium everything, so be careful when you tie those knots.

 

[Rous]

Totally get where you're coming from. At the risk of sounding Karen-ish, have you tried / considered contacting them and explaining that to them? Are they going to hire a bunch of Dan's to lace their custom glove orders? Probably not, but it might get someone on-shore to empathize with you, ask you to send some pictures and say "this guy's right, call the PH office right now, I need to talk to the supervisor there". You come off as someone who is respectful and well-spoken, it might be worth a try.

One of the issues with sending stuff off-shore is they don't necessarily understand the end user's priority. To them, life is very much about simple things like family and not getting your home crushed by a tsunami. I'm not mocking that at all or making any excuses, but I've sub-contracted work there in the past. You buy consumer products if absolutely necessary, not as a nice to have. How your laces look could legitimately be something that is mind-blowing to them. "Does your glove catch the ball? So what's the issue?". Maybe they do need a call from corporate reminding them that the guys who order customs expect premium everything, so be careful when you tie those knots.

At Rawlings, time is money. Since relacing for me is a hobby, I can spend 3-6 hours on a glove (including taking the old lace out, cleaning, conditioning, sealing, lacing, etc. And I have thrown lace out if it wasn't clean enough. Rawlings probably doesn't like if for workers to throw out perfectly good lace and workers probably need to get each one done within 20 minutes. If QC doesn't catch it, out it goes.

I was reading about a hot new corporate thing is rental houses. Companies buy foreclosed houses at auction and get them on the rental market asap. There is NO maintenance or upkeep expenses as the goal is to get a private equity firm to buy the operation. 15% profit doesn't do much for the private equity guys, gotta get over 20%. So the equity firm will make a huge profit as the houses depreciate, and then avoid taxes with the losses when they sell of collapsing houses. There is no pride in doing right by customers. Haha, my parents owned a few apartment buildings and always wanted tenants to be super happy and long time residents... so maybe this hits too close to home. Welcome to the corporatization of America! The upside is that if you complain, they may make you a new glove, cheaper to remake one for a picky customer than ramp up QC, increasing the cost of all gloves made.

 

[ANNASDAD]

The upside is that if you complain, they may make you a new glove, cheaper to remake one for a picky customer than ramp up QC, increasing the cost of all gloves made.

Definitely keeping the glove, it fits me perfectly, and every other aspect of the glove is perfect, it’s a beautiful glove! I just hate that the one thing that always stands out to me and is the easiest not to screw up....is always screwed up on every new glove I get! Guess I should be used to it by now?

 

[ANNASDAD]

 

[davisrelacing]

Speaking with a factory owner who has 5-6 "lacers" under his employ, they are typically lacing 15-18 gloves per day to keep up with factory production. They use bulk cut lace, which is already cut to length, and use different tools than a "relacer" does stateside.

I'd guess that final QC at the end of production is probably looking for laces to be the same length and laced in the proper pattern more so than judging the quality of the lace. A look at other major manufacturers and their "Tanner's tan" lace is much much worse.

Thanks for noticing my work. I take pride in producing factory-quality or better results. Additionally, several major manufacturers rely on me to fix lace issues, and I've had my work used as the glove in stock photos. A pretty cool feeling.