is Vinci quality still the same?

[thecaptain]

My first Vinci was a black JD-73 and I loved it. Very stiff when new, broke in nicely (soft where it should be, stiff where it needs to be).
At the end of the 2019 season I bought a white BMB-OB with a black mesh back. Was very stiff when new. Only got to use it a couple of times before the season ended. Then 2020 got cancelled due to covid. Finally brought the glove out this spring in preparation for the new season. It was still like new.
I only used a bit of the oil supplied with the glove when it was new and nothing since. Played catch and beat it with a glove Mallet. Now all of a sudden the glove has gone from stiff to too soft. Not floppy, it still stays open when put down, but soft. When I close the glove I can see my finger tips pushing in on the base of the fingers while the tip of the glove stays open and it feels flimsy when catching the ball. The leather used for the palm and fingers feel very soft and thin now.
Did I get unlucky on this one glove or has the quality changed since I bought my JD a decade ago?

 

[MaverickAH]

I haven't bought or seen a new Vinci in a few years but I highly doubt that their quality has deteriorated. What I suspect is going on here is more color related if anything. The dyeing & bleaching process to get white leather automatically leads to the leather being softer. The kip leather that Vinci uses is pretty damn stiff but the white kip is never going to be as stiff as the black kip or other colors. Personally, I think that it's better to break in a white glove with zero to very little conditioner.

 

[etnstudios]

i would also ask where the glove was kept for the year+ that it wasn't in use.

 

[thecaptain]

i would also ask where the glove was kept for the year+ that it wasn't in use.

I thought about that too. Considered the heat effects. But it was in my bag in the garage with EVERY other glove and the others are fine.
Also, it was fine when I pulled it out of the bag. Still stiff and not broken in yet. But once I started breaking it in, (no cream/lotion/oil) it went from stiff for most of the time, then to broken in, to soft very quick.

 

[Hiltz]

The dyeing & bleaching process to get white leather automatically leads to the leather being softer.

But once I started breaking it in, (no cream/lotion/oil) it went from stiff for most of the time, then to broken in, to soft very quick.

I've relaced a few gloves with white laces for teammates/friends. It's an absolutely miserable process because new white lace is ridiculously stiff, almost plastic-like. But when I see those gloves being used a few weeks later, the laces are flopping like overcooked spaghetti. White leather just goes from cardboard-stiff to floppy in no time.

 

[Rous]

I've relaced a few gloves with white laces for teammates/friends. It's an absolutely miserable process because new white lace is ridiculously stiff, almost plastic-like. But when I see those gloves being used a few weeks later, the laces are flopping like overcooked spaghetti. White leather just goes from cardboard-stiff to floppy in no time.

I know people who swear by white lace, but my experience is similar, that it gets supper soft pretty quickly. Like shoelace soft.

 

[thecaptain]

I've relaced a few gloves with white laces for teammates/friends. It's an absolutely miserable process because new white lace is ridiculously stiff, almost plastic-like. But when I see those gloves being used a few weeks later, the laces are flopping like overcooked spaghetti. White leather just goes from cardboard-stiff to floppy in no time.

So the consensus seems to be, white leather is different.
Good to know. My black Vinci is broken in nicely, but even after a decade still not overly soft. My cheap Rawlings is the same. My Wilson A2000 is older than all of them and closes easily but is very firm where it needs to be. The palm leather feels stiffer and thicker than the others.

Now it's time to see how my Gloveworks custom ages. I purposely asked for them to make it extra stiff.

 

[thecaptain]

Update

Reached out to Vinci and they're going to replace the glove. Great customer service and why I would continue to support small independent companies.

I'll let you know how the replacement turns out when it arrives.

 

[etnstudios]

are they replacing it with a different color?

 

[thecaptain]

are they replacing it with a different color?

They didn't originally specify. But when I replied, I asked if I could get a different colour based on what was said here. Just in case the white leather is the issue.
They didn't seem to push back on that. They offered a larger all black glove but I'm afraid anything larger than 13" might be too big for the IF. They said they'll look into what they have, so now I just need to wait to see what they send me.
In the end, it's been 2 years and they're sending me a replacement so I don't want to be too pushy. This is more than they are obligated to do. It's very nice they're standing by their product and choosing to do this.

 

[Trung1130]

Since Vinci sources their own leather for production, there will be Batch differences since leather comes in different batches. Its unrealistic expectation that any glove company will have the same leather for gloves one year to the next considering that the price of quality hides has gone up 10 times in the last 3 years while the price of gloves has only gone up 10% on the second tier level.