Questions about making a glove firmer

[defos]

I'm still thrown a bit that I'm even asking these questions since I've never been one to want a stiff glove, but my preferences have evolved. I want my gloves to open wide in a bowl shape, close thumb to pinkie, and wrap around a softball when the ball hits the pocket, be pliable, but not totally floppy. I've come to want my gloves to be firm without being stiff. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone else. So here's where I need help.

The PRO502-3P I bought a few months ago is just what I used to want, but it's too limp for my current tastes. I know stiffer laces will help. The current laces are extremely soft. I think I also would like to firm up the heel pad just a little. This isn't a glove I will use a lot. The primary reason I bought it is because it's a close match color-wise to my PROS27TFPP. I want it to use on the rare occasion I play 2b.

How would you go about stiffening the heel pad without adding bulk? I just want to firm it up a little so it stays a little wider and not close in such a tight U shape when I close the glove, without making it too stiff. I played catch with it for the first time this week, and when catching the ball more in the palm, the heel felt too narrow. I've thought of adding a thin insert similar to the thumb and pinkie inserts. I have the proper material and skills to do it, but don't know if that will work.

Where can I find stiff black 1/4" laces? The packaged laces I've found are as soft as what are in the glove now. I could also use some stiffer tan laces for another glove. There used to be a store here that sold bulk laces, but they've either gone out of business or moved, and I can't remember the name to search for it.

 

[etnstudios]

Usasportsdirect.

 

[Rous]

Replace the thumb and pinkie padding too. 3/16" F3 and 1/4" F7 wool felt.

 

[Swinging Bunt]

Saddle tan is generally on the stiffer side of the spectrum. It's going to be a gamble trying to order other colors (and hoping it will be stiff).

OP, what kind of flimsey are we talking about (pancake break, soft leather, fingers bending backwards, loose laces, etc.)?

 

[Drumbum37]

Replacing the felt is your best bet. I can do it for you if you'd like. Relace, new felt, whole 9 yards. Msg me if you're interested.

 

[defos]

Very soft leather. It's the oil treated Primo Sherry discussed in the other thread. Very soft laces, and the padding doesn't seem HOH dense. I also have a little used 5 dot Gold Glove Elite PRO-1005E which is basically the same pattern and size, 12.5" with a deep Basket web. The leather is soft, but the heel pad is (a little too) thick and denser. Working on it last night, I got it to break at both sides of the heel. Stiffer finger laces and a pinkie insert (it doesn't have one) would get it about how I'd like both gloves. The PRO502-3P has a break on the pinkie side of the heel to close thumb to middle, but when I close it thumb to pinkie, the whole heel bends into a U without a real break on either side.

Maybe I just need new laces and to use it more. I was more focused on the kink in my upper arm that wasn't allowing me to throw than I was the glove. Adding a pinkie loop would probably help too.

 

[defos]

Replacing the felt is your best bet. I can do it for you if you'd like. Relace, new felt, whole 9 yards. Msg me if you're interested.

Thanks, but I can do the work. Just need to know the best thing to do and where to get what I need. And yes, replacing the felt would accomplish what I want to.

 

[ANNASDAD]

My local to me Play it again Sports carries Tanner lace. I get to pick through and choose the pieces I want to buy. Black & tan are all I ever buy.

On the 1/4” pieces it’s easy to find larger lace that’s been cut oversize, and some of the black is relatively stiff but the tan is generally twice as stiff if not more! I’ve got some great tan lace from PIAS!

Plus it’s TAN

 

[Rous]

My local to me Play it again Sports carries Tanner lace. I get to pick through and choose the pieces I want to buy. Black & tan are all I ever buy.

On the 1/4” pieces it’s easy to find larger lace that’s been cut oversize, and some of the black is relatively stiff but the tan is generally twice as stiff if not more! I’ve got some great tan lace from PIAS!

Plus it’s TAN

I cannot tell you how often I get relacing requests wanting super stiff red or blue or orange or some other color lace. USAsportsdirect sold super stiff red and blue lace for a while, but the last I got from them was more like standard colored lace... meh.

All lace varies, but if you are ordering online (and don't we all -- except ANNASDAD at PIAS!!!), you have to play the averages. Tan, on average, will be stiffest, then black, chocolate and primo. After that, generally, the brightly colored laces will be softer. That doesn't mean they will last less long or are more prone to breaking, but they just won't be as stiff.

And I have found that tan stays stiffer longer. Even good stiff black lace will soften up with use. Tan will too, but it takes longer. Whatever they do to the leather to get it to take the color does something to it. I wish I knew more about the process.

And BTW, some argue that alum-tanned leather (that lace is made out of), isn't technically leather as it isn't "tanned" in the same way that chromium "tans" leather. If you soak alum tanned leather in water, the alum salts will come out and it will be untanned. I wish I knew how this alum tanning interacted with dye. For that matter, is the basic tan lace (with yellow center), uncolored? It certainly isn't dyed through.

 

[Rous]

Or get this, as I recall, it was pretty stiff and it has a fresh set of tan lace!!!

http://forums.softballfans.com/threads/rawlings-pro502-3p.1449544/

 

[defos]

Lot of good points there Rous! I'd be interested in knowing more about the processes involved as well. One of my brothers makes bridles, spur leathers, reins, etc. in his home shop. He further treats some of the leather he uses. I asked him once how he did something - don't remember what it was, but it would translate to something I wanted to do with gloves. He said if he told me, he'd have to kill me. End of discussion.

The local PIAS doesn't carry bulk lace, but the owner does/did relace gloves in the back, so it might be worthwhile to ask. He was trying to sell the store last fall, but I don't know if he did. I haven't seen him for some time. There could be some unused inventory in the back, especially if he sold the store. PIAS in Iowa City and Omaha sell some bulk lace, but due to a job change I don't get there anymore like I could when I was driving a truck. What they had in Omaha last fall was not stiff and I passed on it.

 

[defos]

Or get this, as I recall, it was pretty stiff and it has a fresh set of tan lace!!!

http://forums.softballfans.com/threads/rawlings-pro502-3p.1449544/

Yeah, my glove's just the opposite of that one. I wonder if it was ever that stiff. That does look good with the tan laces. I used mine at practice a little today. I'll start with new laces and see how much that helps. I didn't notice the heel being a problem today, but it definitely needs stiffer laces.

 

[Rous]

Yeah, my glove's just the opposite of that one. I wonder if it was ever that stiff. That does look good with the tan laces. I used mine at practice a little today. I'll start with new laces and see how much that helps. I didn't notice the heel being a problem today, but it definitely needs stiffer laces.

USAsportsdirect had a tobacco color lace that was SOOO stiff. I think it might have been latigo... a type of leather your brother probably knows about. They don't have in on the site anymore. I have a 1/2 hide of latigo here and I am sure that if you made a glove out of it, you'd never break it in!

 

[defos]

I finally got the fingers and web of the PRO502-3P relaced with 1/4" lace from USASD. The lace isn't as stiff as I had hoped, but it seems to have accomplished what I wanted. It got softer as I pulled it through the holes. I tried lacing the fingers and top of the web as described in another thread, starting at the index finger and working in both directions so I was only pulling most of the lace through 1/2 the holes. While the lace isn't all that stiff, it is a hair over 1/4" while the original lace is just that much under 1/4" and as limp as shoe lace.

I got their heel lace, which is less than 3/16", and their palm lace too, but I don't think I'll use them on this glove. The palm lace will work for the finger hole on a fastback as it's thin and narrow.

I also got some 1/4" tan lace for the fingers and web on my Pro1005-E, and then picked up some stiffer alum lace at Tandy. The black lace from USASD is thicker than their tan, but the tan is maybe marginally stiffer. I bought the alum lace at Tandy mostly because I could feel it to see how stiff it is, even though it's packaged. I got the stiffest I found. It's not too stiff to be workable by any means, just stiffer than the USASD tan.

 

[sleepin4matty]

I finally got the fingers and web of the PRO502-3P relaced with 1/4" lace from USASD. The lace isn't as stiff as I had hoped, but it seems to have accomplished what I wanted. It got softer as I pulled it through the holes. I tried lacing the fingers and top of the web as described in another thread, starting at the index finger and working in both directions so I was only pulling most of the lace through 1/2 the holes. While the lace isn't all that stiff, it is a hair over 1/4" while the original lace is just that much under 1/4" and as limp as shoe lace.

I got their heel lace, which is less than 3/16", and their palm lace too, but I don't think I'll use them on this glove. The palm lace will work for the finger hole on a fastback as it's thin and narrow.

I also got some 1/4" tan lace for the fingers and web on my Pro1005-E, and then picked up some stiffer alum lace at Tandy. The black lace from USASD is thicker than their tan, but the tan is maybe marginally stiffer. I bought the alum lace at Tandy mostly because I could feel it to see how stiff it is, even though it's packaged. I got the stiffest I found. It's not too stiff to be workable by any means, just stiffer than the USASD tan.

replacing the pads in the pinky and thumb might help stiffen up the glove as well

 

[fredderf]

Get the padding and Inserts changed, that makes a massive difference in the feel of the glove.
F

 

[defos]

Honestly, it's just about perfect for me right now. I'm not going to use this glove much, so how long it stays like this isn't a huge issue. The thumb and pinkie were never the problem except they connect with the heel. Even with just replacing the lace in the fingers and web, the glove will stay open laying on its side. I didn't imagine that was possible with this glove. It's been a long time since I relaced a glove I planned to use myself, and I'd forgotten how much difference new laces make.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! One reason for starting this thread was to help others in the same situation who might read this one day.

 

[Gladzilla]

Just had a pro303bh relaced and the laces softened up the glove. Will the laces stiffen up over time?

 

[eviladams]

Just had a pro303bh relaced and the laces softened up the glove. Will the laces stiffen up over time?

Is that a serious question?

 

[Gladzilla]

Is that a serious question?

Yes, I didn't know if the oil would dry out and cause them to somewhat stiffen up. Even if that was possible.

But I'm going to say I have the right thinking.

Thanks for the help.

 

[eviladams]

Yes, I didn't know if the oil would dry out and cause them to somewhat stiffen up. Even if that was possible.

But I'm going to say I have the right thinking.

Thanks for the help.

No, the stiffest it’s gonna be is right after the relace. Eventually over a LONG period of time they might dry out and get brittle. But no, they will not “re-stiffen”.