Vintage Nokona KANGA-TAN ...... looking for info

ogWarlock78

Addicted to Softballfans
I just picked up a Nokona that I can find no info on. Have found a couple on da bay, but of course the sellers know nothing about what they are selling...."see pics for details"
I feel this glove may be from the 70s due to the metal grommets for the heel lace.

Markings are faded, but this is what I can make out:
Palm: KANGA-TAN in outline of Texas
Heel: Nokona - Made in USA - MLL (I think)
Inside hand stall: Ristankor , no clue on the second line...maybe PAT. NO. xxxxxxxx
Measures 12" from tip of index finger to heel

Any info will be much appreciated.

-steve
 

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Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
I just picked up a Nokona that I can find no info on. Have found a couple on da bay, but of course the sellers know nothing about what they are selling...."see pics for details"
I feel this glove may be from the 70s due to the metal grommets for the heel lace.

Markings are faded, but this is what I can make out:
Palm: KANGA-TAN in outline of Texas
Heel: Nokona - Made in USA - MLL (I think)
Inside hand stall: Ristankor , no clue on the second line...maybe PAT. NO. xxxxxxxx
Measures 12" from tip of index finger to heel

Any info will be much appreciated.

-steve
Oh man, I'm going to have to dig into the old memory files on this one! I think the black and gold patches were used from the 1960s until 1985. Then they just used black stampings until the white patches were introduced around 1990. They used grommets later than you'd think, but I still think this is a mid-1970s - early-1980s glove. They used 100% kangaroo for a while, until they realized it stretched with use. After that, they only used it for the backs.
 

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
The Kangaroo leather is more like 3 oz. rather than the 4.5 oz cowhide Nokona used back then. You should be able to tell if it feels pretty thin. My son had a teammate back 10 years ago whose dad had a Nokona first base mitt made entirely out of kangaroo. It was the flimsiest glove I have ever felt. I asked Rob about it and he said that as tough as the kangaroo is, it also stretches. So after a while they went to just using it for the back of the fingers. I think it's a great alternative to mesh or microfiber. The ones I have had all have a very tight grain. I can prob tell with a close up pic if you can post.
 

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
From your pics, I'd say it is just the back of the fingers that is kangaroo.
 

ogWarlock78

Addicted to Softballfans
I found an archived vintagebaseballgloveforum post by "softball66" (Joe Phillips) regarding Nokona tag dating:
"The Black background with gold lettering was being used when I began at Nocona in 1976 and was used up until about 1993 when I believe the white background with blue Nokona type and red Indian Head in the overlay was used. In 2002 the current oval patch with Blue Nokona type was brought in........ The Texas outline logo was in the line from 1980 to 1986."
baseballglovecollector website has Nokona catalogs that can be viewed, but there is a gap between 1971 and 1986 :(
 

ogWarlock78

Addicted to Softballfans
The Kangaroo leather is more like 3 oz. rather than the 4.5 oz cowhide Nokona used back then. You should be able to tell if it feels pretty thin. My son had a teammate back 10 years ago whose dad had a Nokona first base mitt made entirely out of kangaroo. It was the flimsiest glove I have ever felt. I asked Rob about it and he said that as tough as the kangaroo is, it also stretches. So after a while they went to just using it for the back of the fingers. I think it's a great alternative to mesh or microfiber. The ones I have had all have a very tight grain. I can prob tell with a close up pic if you can post.
Most interesting.
My glove doesn't feel light or flimsy
 

blakcherry329

Well-Known Member
They definitely get very floppy. I had an AMG-600 KCW (same web as that one. I hate closed webs, but I digress) open back, in the late 80s. I loved that glove(left it at a field. smh:mad:). It was extremely soft and floppy. I played 3rd, back then. The ball stuck in the pocket. But the leather definitely stretched a lot. I like a softer floppy glove so that's not a problem. Been looking for that glove for awhile. I can't find one anywhere. :confused:
 
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ogWarlock78

Addicted to Softballfans
......... It was extremely soft and floppy. ....... The ball stuck in the pocket. .......... I like a softer floppy glove ........
I'm with you. Much prefer an H web. AND, a big ole floppy glove that wraps around a ball is a must for me ( I suck on defense and need all the help I can get!)
 

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
I found an archived vintagebaseballgloveforum post by "softball66" (Joe Phillips) regarding Nokona tag dating:
"The Black background with gold lettering was being used when I began at Nocona in 1976 and was used up until about 1993 when I believe the white background with blue Nokona type and red Indian Head in the overlay was used. In 2002 the current oval patch with Blue Nokona type was brought in........ The Texas outline logo was in the line from 1980 to 1986."
baseballglovecollector website has Nokona catalogs that can be viewed, but there is a gap between 1971 and 1986 :(
I haven't talked to him in years, but I know Joe. He worked for a firm that did Nokona marketing for years. IIRC, he told me it was his idea to dump the black and gold. And for a period of about 5 years they did no patches, just stamps. Then the white patch era began (I think Joe had some input on that). But his memory was not always perfect. I can't believe the white patch era was only 1993-1999. I could have sworn I got my years from him though, so who knows!
 

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
I just found this in the SBF archives. I posted it shortly after having lunch with Joe.

"Up until 1985 Nokona used the old school black patch with a gold script "Nokona." They hired a marketer (that I have met here in Dallas) and he told them it had to go. So they dumped it, but it took until 1990 to come up with the white patch... which lasted until 2000."
 

ogWarlock78

Addicted to Softballfans
the Nokona catalogs available on baseballglovecollector seem to support the white patch ending in 1999.
The 98-99 catalog shows the white patch then the 2001-02 catalog shows the new oval patch (no catalog 2000 catalog available)
 

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
I am almost sure they had the new oval patch for 2000. And then with 9-11, they went to a flag background on the patch for 2002. About 2004 or 2005 they went with a bright red patch with Peta Nocona's head in profile. Then in 2007 or 2008 the bright red became more of a maroon.
 

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
So the catalogs from the baseballglovecollector have the black patch fading out, but still in some use, as late as 1991-'92. And the white patch is in place by '94-'95.

Yours may still be late '70s early 80s though. Given the semi-kangaroo construction, early 80s is my new guess.
 
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