Anybody have any good tips or tricks for shortening the fingers on leather gloves? I've got a new pair of Rev'it SLR's that I'm quite fond of, but the fingers are a tad long for me. As a result, I find that my fingers get hung up transitioning from the throttle to the brakes - and as a new rider this season, the last thing I want is more crap to distract me.
i have the slr's too and they're great.
i've never tried this personally, but i've heard that you can try dipping the glove's fingers into water and then letting them try to dry and shrink. leather does contract a bit after it's been wetted... but it also might make the leather stiffer.
your call on if you want to try it though
Quote from: thought on March 06, 2011, 09:52:45 PM
i have the slr's too and they're great.
i've never tried this personally, but i've heard that you can try dipping the glove's fingers into water and then letting them try to dry and shrink. leather does contract a bit after it's been wetted... but it also might make the leather stiffer.
your call on if you want to try it though
Even if the leather does get stiff after you get it wet and let it dry , you can then get a product by the name Lexol at an Auto Parts Store.
Lexol comes as a leather Conditioner and also as a leather Cleaner.
The dark brown container will be the one that says Conditioner .
It shouldn't cost more than about $10.
It sprays on , but I usually spray it on a sponge and wipe the leather real good and the leather will absorb it .
You can massage it in to the leather , then just let it sit to kind of dry over night away from direct heat and the leather will be soft again.
In fact use it every so often to keep your Gloves from drying and loosing their essential oils.
You will extend the life of the Gloves for a couple of years w, good Glove care including washing them out w, mild soapy water if they get wet w, sweat and rinse them out w, cold water and then let them air dry .
Might take a couple of days for them to dry , then Lexol them while they are still damp and they should turn out almost like new.
I've been doing it for years.
Dolph [moto]
I have a pair of Gloves that the fingers are long on me , although they really don't seem to be a problem .
I think the 1st few times I wore them they felt bulky but I got used to them .
(http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn198/DoubleEagle_photo/DSCN0589.jpg)
I haven't altered them ...but something you might do is put tissues in the finger ends or cotton.
Jam it in there until you get a solid fit that suits you.
Pretty inexpensive fix if it works.
Nothing ventured ..nothing gained.
Let me know if that works for you ?
Dolph :)
Tried wetting them down last night, then left them on the radiator overnight to dry. The good news is that they didn't stiffen up much. The bad news is that they didn't shrink much either.
I'll try the cotton in the fingers today, see if that makes any difference.
May be able to take them to a tailor who works on moto stuff, I've got a pair of A*'s that need shorter fingers. I can tell you from expierence that you can dip them in any temp water and nothing happens.
Quote from: Z06C5R on March 07, 2011, 09:30:41 AM
Tried wetting them down last night, then left them on the radiator overnight to dry. The good news is that they didn't stiffen up much. The bad news is that they didn't shrink much either.
I'll try the cotton in the fingers today, see if that makes any difference.
The last thing you want to do with wet Gloves to dry them is subject them to direct heat of any kind.
Dolph [moto]
Well, the cotton didn't do much for functionality, though they do look slightly less ridiculous with the extra material filled out. I dunno...
Why don't you wear them until they dry? Then they have a chance to mold to your hand. I have a pair of Helimots like Dolph and after two wet/dry sessions, they are great. My other pair of Helimots went back to San Jose for trimming.
How much too long is the longest Finger ?
Mine is 1/2 inch and I got used to it.
Dolph :)
It's probably about 1/2" on the fingers that I'm concerned about. I'm doing some more riding tomorrow, I guess I'll have to see if I can get use to it.
Quote from: Z06C5R on March 11, 2011, 06:06:46 PM
It's probably about 1/2" on the fingers that I'm concerned about. I'm doing some more riding tomorrow, I guess I'll have to see if I can get use to it.
I suppose partly it would come down to how skilled a rider you are ..or how long you have been riding as to how easy it would be to adjust to something uncomfortable and the size of your hands to begin with w, regards to your reach to the levers..plus the other hand controls.
The longer you wear the Gloves , the more they will stretch a bit and you will be able to snug them up some more which will allow you to shorten up the Fingers so to speak.
Dolph :)