Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

Here are a couple new additions to the lineup. First up is a Goldsmith model JC Joe Cronin glove. This glove has some interesting things going for it - the web is unusual, and the back of the fingers are super neat. The only problem is someone inked the wrist strap to match the finger slits. This glove is huge as well. I have not come across a Goldsmith glove with these features - anyone?






Thanks to a fellow forum member I was able to add this Sonnett model AS Hobie Landrith catchers mitt to the stable. Haven't come across one with his name yet so I was happy to get it.




And finally, two cool additions for 9.99 each via eBay. First of the two bargains is a Sonnett model 6348R trapeeze Orlando Cepeda fielders mitt. It is for a LH thrower but the leather is great and I love the way it looks.




Second bargain was this three fingered Geo. A Reach model G25 glove. Very large, great leather and has "GYM" stamped on the back. Can't imagine a school paying good money for a glove but they did for this one - definitely a top of the line mitt with some cool lacing.

I absolutely love the new goldsmith you picked up it is a shame about the inking on it. If you ever decided to part with it please keep me first in line

J

Brett,

The gloves cleaned up really well. I have a Gus Suhr Goldsmith basemitt with the same style webbing. Nice pick ups.

Jim

Hi Brett,

Cool glove and mitt finds. I dropped you a yahoo email on one of them.

Dave

Brett you had me intrigued with that Cronin glove. I went to Cat Source Book and found it was offered maybe only one year 1941. So I went to my catalog copies. Get this:
The Joe Cronin Model JC HAS a "new type, extra large, one-piece, stitched leather web between thumb and forefinger." So this has to be one of the first one piece webs like the Rawlings Lonny Frey. But your's has a reinforced double tunnel???
It shows the back of the glove and no black leather sewn "eyes" like you have. What gives here? Did Goldsmith produce this at the same time or another year we're missing? What purpose do the "black eyes" serve in the design? "Hood ornaments?"

That's interesting! I woudl think the purpose of the "black eyes" would be for more flexibility through the fingers, making it easier to "trap" the ball in the pocket area. I did notice that the JC Joe Cronin was only a 1941 issue - it changed to Pete Reiser the next year. Hmmm, interesting.

And thanks to all the people who are interested but I'm keeping it for the time being.

I have a Goldsmith GS George Selkirk model that dates to the late 30's. This glove is a blonde-colored horeshide and the web is a one-piece, laced-in web that completely fills the area between the thumb and forefinger.

It is the earliest one-piece web I have come across. Been meaning to get a picture of that on up on the site, but right now it's packed away with a lot of other gloves!

Hi guys, The Goldsmith is a very cool one. I am curious if the strap has Goldsmith written/etched on it as it seems there is something written on the strap. Brett, can you tell that when you look at the strap.?? I would agree too it looks like in Joe's source book to be from 1941.

The double straps seem to me to have the element of a rainey style variation web with the strap being a solid piece of leather that seems to then be tapered into a lace that runs through the grommets of both the index finger and the thumb grommets. Of course a rainey, is sewn into the index finger and has grommets with tapered lacing going through the thumb area. Also, Joe seems correct with his observation that each strap is reinforced.

Brett is the "black" eyes made by the factory or did the owner give it the black eyes. Just wondered if you could tell that too.

It is cool and different.

Dave

Hey guys, Upon looking a bit further at each strap, Might it be, Brett can tell being he can look closely, that that each strap "block" really has 2 tapered laces coming off only one side of the block and then the other block has tapered laces coming off it and then they sewed both blocks together to run the 4 tapered laces into the index and thumb grommets.



Dave

Yes, that is how the web is constructed.

What was the intended purpose of the gussets behind the fingers, where the black leather shows through the holes in the back of the glove? are those intended to provide flexibility in closing the glove?