What Kind of Technology is Used in Making Baseball Gloves?

A leather baseball glove

Often referred to as America's Pastime, the sport of baseball has been around since before the Civil War. It is a game of simplicity; all that is needed to play is a ball, bat and glove. The baseball glove is made through an intricate yet simple technique that utilizes both new technology and old-fashioned techniques.

Raw Materials

In many cases, an announcer will describe a good defensive baseball play by saying "he got good leather on that one." This is simply because baseball gloves are made of leather. Primarily, cowhide leather is used to make gloves, although in some cases, kangaroo leather is used.

Additionally, nylon is used for the threading used to make the webbing of a glove. Some gloves also use bits of plastic for extra padding in sensitive areas.

Die-cutting

Before a glove is assembled, the hide is cut into the four basic parts of the glove: the shell, lining, web and pad. This is done by using a process known as die-cutting. Die-cutting involves using a machine to cut objects into a predetermined shape. The easiest way to envision this process is to think of a giant cookie cutter, cutting numerous materials into the exact same shape.

Shell

The shell mold--the basic shape of the baseball glove--is sewn together by hand. It is actually sewn together inside out, and once completed it is placed on a device called a hot hand. This device heats up the glove shell so that it may be more easily manipulated into the desired shape. Afterward, the glove shell is placed on a turning stick so that it may be turned the right way.

Tanning

Before cowhide can be used for baseball gloves, it must become leather. To complete the transformation from cowhide to leather, the cowhide goes through a process known as tanning. Hides are placed into a large, rotating chemical vat. Tanning preserves the cowhide, and enhances strength and durability.

The Human Touch

The most crucial element of making a baseball glove is the human hand. There is an extraordinary amount of sewing, weaving, stitching and lacing. The inner and outer shells are sewn by hand, and then stitched together by hand. The web of the glove is made by hand using a basket-weaving technique. The padding of the glove is placed inside the shell by hand. Finally, after completion, any abnormalities are pressed out using the hot hand and the human hand.

References

• Enotes
• Discovery Channel
• Leather Help