Rous
Addicted to Softballfans
I was contacted recently by a board member about a tear in his Easton I-web glove. It seems the lace tore through the attachment holes on the backside of the glove right at the tunnel on the finger side. I think I can fortify the existing holes on the palm side so the glove will survive, but it made me wonder if this was a design flaw. Then, by pure chance, a teammate gave me his Easton I-web to work on because one of the web laces had snapped (first Easton I-web I have worked on). Although the lace pattern looked to be the same on both from the outside, they were done differently and I think the one with the torn leather was not laced to spec.
So we all know that Rawlings uses a single lace that is kept single throughout the run and that Wilson uses a single lace but doubles up the X X at the purlicue (crotch). Easton's pattern uses two laces and doubles up the connection at the X X and also at the lower entry point of the tunnel. I like it, it is my new favorite I-web spec.
However, the first lace needs to run through to the palm side when it goes out and then into the tunnel on each side but only through the BACK layer of the shell (not through to the palm side) when it gets to the purlicue. Then the second lace only goes through the back of the shell (not through to the palm side) at the tunnel, but it DOES go through to the palm side at the X X.
On the glove with the tear, whoever laced it did not take the first lace through to the palm side at all. That means the loop of lace entering the top of the tunnel was only connected to the glove through one layer of the shell leather. Glove was less than 6 months old and it blew out just playing catch (although the owner says they were throwing pretty hard).
Check your I-web! If the lace knotted at the back side of the finger or thumb at the top of the tunnel runs through to the palm side, you need it redone ASAP.
This piece of lace with the knot should stay inside the finger until it comes out to enter the tunnel, doubling up the lace entering the tunnel.
So we all know that Rawlings uses a single lace that is kept single throughout the run and that Wilson uses a single lace but doubles up the X X at the purlicue (crotch). Easton's pattern uses two laces and doubles up the connection at the X X and also at the lower entry point of the tunnel. I like it, it is my new favorite I-web spec.
However, the first lace needs to run through to the palm side when it goes out and then into the tunnel on each side but only through the BACK layer of the shell (not through to the palm side) when it gets to the purlicue. Then the second lace only goes through the back of the shell (not through to the palm side) at the tunnel, but it DOES go through to the palm side at the X X.
On the glove with the tear, whoever laced it did not take the first lace through to the palm side at all. That means the loop of lace entering the top of the tunnel was only connected to the glove through one layer of the shell leather. Glove was less than 6 months old and it blew out just playing catch (although the owner says they were throwing pretty hard).
Check your I-web! If the lace knotted at the back side of the finger or thumb at the top of the tunnel runs through to the palm side, you need it redone ASAP.
This piece of lace with the knot should stay inside the finger until it comes out to enter the tunnel, doubling up the lace entering the tunnel.
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