Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

This may be a stupid question but here goes.

Why do some Rawlings gloves have a long straight strip of welting on the side of the thumb while on some models the thumb welting goes about 3/4 of the length of the thumb and curves to the base of the thumb?

It seems that some gloves 12" and above and many made in USA gloves have this long straight welting but some of the newer 12" gloves don't. Why is this? Is it purely cosmetic or is it related to how the glove is constructed? Does it serve a purpose?

For whatever reason, I kind of like it. Does anyone know if the custom gloves from Eastbay have it or can you request it from doc?

Thanks.

some do some don't no rhyme or reason as to which. The curved thumb was to make more and smaller cutting dies to better cut the parts. ( the reason for 3 peice palm a good example of this) leather is the most costly part or your glove. Probably the bigger gloves don't have it because for the most part they are older patterns. And cost wasn't an issue then, and its only been the last few years that gloves under 12" were ever built. My nickels worth on this subject is that the better fielders would be even better with the larger models today but herd mentaility is our way of life (think nike is the best shoe? when the companys that make them make 10 other companys shoes with them)
Oh well consider that I'm getting old and set in my ways.

Doc

I thought the J thumb was to get the welt off the back of your thumb for comfort reasons, No?

works for that also and sounds better than saving us a little money I really haven't had 20 complains in 30 years over the pressure on the thumb and when I did it was the long reinforcemnet that hurt and I reshaped it years ago to go toward the label and not over the thmb. And that plastic has only been used in the gloves I make for several years now.

doc

I am suprised that it is cost savings.

Looks like the larger thumb piece would be hard to nest when cutting.

I thought most of the newer models were designed in the Philippines and that was more of an Aoki thing than a cost savings.