Cool and Rare Buckle Back Glove

[vintagebrett]

Picked this one up yesterday - it is a Bet-R-Built Babcock, Hinds & Underwood model G425X Merrill May buckle back glove. The buckle is super neat - it's not really a buckle - take a look at the pictures. I've never seen this manufacturer before. I've seen Merrill May on Rawlings gloves and the model # would seem to indicate that they had something to do with this glove. It is very well made and in good shape. Anyone seen a glove like this or this manufacturer? I did a little research online and found that they were a hardware store in New York state. I guess it's likely that Rawlings made the glove for them, although the back throws me for a loop because I haven't seen a Rawlings like this.

[nygiants]

I do not want to sound stupid here ( sometimes it just comes natural) but how would you put your hand in the glove?

[vintagebrett]

Your hand still goes in the same way as a normal glove - the wrist strap is there instead of a buckle - there is an entrance below as usual. The small piece in the middle isn't connected to the lining - it has some wool on it to keep the back of your hand padded.

[BretMan]

I posted a picture back awhile ago of a buckle-back glove with the same sort of pad attached to the wrist strap.

See the photo here: Glove With Wrist Pad

[Cowboy7130]

And it's really fun to say! Bonus points for the alliteration!

"Bet-R-Built Babcock Buckleback, Bet-R-Built Babcockleback, ... Bet-R-Burr ... Built ... Babcock ... Buckleback, Bet-R-Built Babcock Buckleback ..."

OK ... YOU try to say it three times fast!

[mikesglove]

here is a 1938 catalog page from Babcock, Hinds, Underwood with some Rawlings and Bet-R-Bilt gloves. I also think they were made by Rawlings for the hardware chain. The wrist strap is pretty cool on your glove. I owned a 1940's Rawlings "Bill Brubaker" model with the same arrangement.