Need Help with Japanese made glove

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Need Help with Japanese made glove

Postby softball66 » October 3rd, 2006, 5:47 pm

Hall of Fame just called me and sent pictures of a glove belonging to Al Barnhill, a Negro Leaguer, that has been featured at the Museum. It is a brand I've not heard of called "Arlane" or "Arcane" and I've heard of a lot of different makers and labels but not this one. Also has "MVP" on the wrist strap. I'm sure it is a glove Mr. Barnhill picked up later in his career, perhaps as a coach. They had mistakenly given the impression that it might have been a Negro League era glove. It's an early to mid 1960s.
Anyone heard of the brand or the maker??
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Postby BretMan » October 5th, 2006, 8:49 am

Just when you think you've seen a glove from every possible maker- especially after browsing through literally thousands of ebay auctions over many years- a new name pops up and throws you a curve.

The only import glove I can made a wild guess about that even has part of the name you mention is "Hurricane". I see those fairly often on eBay and even have one in my collection. It is a black glove that looks to be a knock-off of the black Nokona gloves from the late 50's. Actually not a bad glove for an early import brand.

Joe, your question brings up something that I've wondered about before. With the collecting bias toward made in the USA gloves, is there anyone who collects these early import model gloves?

I tend to pick up any glove that catches my eye, regardless of rarity or price, and have a few odd import models. One of my favorites is a 1950's Mizuno which I would have to imagine is one of their earliest imports to the states. It is a quality glove and shows the glove making skills of the sole Japanese company that seems to have survived from those early days to become a major player in the sporting goods industry.
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Good points

Postby softball66 » October 5th, 2006, 10:31 am

Hadn't thought about Hurricane. I'm not sure the name was that long, but I'll check. When Dave B. and I purchased the 400 gloves in Kansas in 1991, there were 30 or 40 Hurricanes in there, probably from early 1960s. Not well made with usual hard leather. I think they may have borrowed the name from the great end of season that Bob "Hurricane" Hazle had with Milwaukee in late 1957 when he came up from minors like "a Hurricane". Musta made a ton of these 'cane gloves because I see them on eBay too.
Good idea Brett to develop, like you say, an eye for a glove you "just like"; what the heck if it's collectible or not. Good leather, well made. I like the D&Rs out of Canada for this reason. Mexican glove makers are good, don't doubt that; fine leather craftsmen there.
So far I've owned gloves from Canada, Mexico and England (made there during WWII I suspect).
About 10 years ago and I still pinch myself for this, picked up a 1930s Mizuno buckleback catchers mitt at antique mall. Earliest I'd seen and probably not an import, maybe something brought back from WWII occupation forces. Mizuno was quite a force in Japan and now in our's and world market for sporting goods merchandise. They have a small US plant in Georgia that turns out pro stock for MLPlayers.
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