Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

Finally had a good day glove hunting! Picked up a few 90s USA HOHs in good condition, but the prize was a Wilson split. Model is 615....also reads Professional Model USA. Top quality leather that passed all tests today while using it to warm up my son before his game. Anyway, I figured it was an early 40s model, but could only locate model 615 in the early 20s with The Sourcebook. Has a perfect I web and the button has what appears to be a train ? My new favorite split!

I have a 615X which sounds very similar to the 615 - train button and all. What kind of web does yours have? here is a picture of mine:

Same web Brett. Mine doesn't have the X ...only other difference is mine doesn't have the military designation, but simply Professional Model USA stamped. Very well built

The train button holds a bit of intrigue. I think it depicts the "Zephyr" a train which ran between Chicago and Denver. Was probably used for the railroad company's conductor uniforms, etc. When the war broke out, buttons were now needed on military uniforms and that's where they went. Gloves who need them took lower priority and I think these came from the shank button company's excess (leftover) button supply. That's my theory on this train button anyway.
The war shortages eventually led to the wartime gloves (what few were made) and mitts being tied off instead of buttoned.
There's also an airplane button on some gloves that have been located.
My grandmother tried to buy a glove for this then 6 year old near the end of WWII. I really wanted a glove. You just couldn't buy a retail glove and I wound up a bit disappointed with a catchers mitt from Abacrombie and Fitch.
Wonderful story about Nocona making gloves (and only gloves) for the military during the war.