Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

I get one or two gloves a week to relace and have this question for board members.

Is it better to have a "factory lace" job or a lace job that maybe uses extra lacing to add strength to a web? Not talking about using 1/4" lace instead of 3/16" but maybe a extra cross brace for the top of the web.

Just a thought. Thanks.

I always try to stick to the original pattern if possible.

I have to agree with rmiller, I follow the same pattern as the original.
The only time that becomes a problem is when you get a glove that's been busted out and the owner rigged up the glove with whatever he/she had available just to make it usable. That's when you see speaker wire, zip ties, shoelaces, boot laces, you name it. Then you have to try to figure out what the original lacing was supposed to be. That can get you to talking to yourself. Oh yeah, been there and done that. lol

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I've run across a few gloves that had better days. Some of the eyelets were stretched beyond my comfort level.

I've added a few laces here and there for additional strength around the pocket perimeter.

I usually try to stay the course...but every once in a while the need presents itself.

wjr953 wrote:I have to agree with rmiller, I follow the same pattern as the original.
The only time that becomes a problem is when you get a glove that's been busted out and the owner rigged up the glove with whatever he/she had available just to make it usable. That's when you see speaker wire, zip ties, shoelaces, boot laces, you name it. Then you have to try to figure out what the original lacing was supposed to be. That can get you to talking to yourself. Oh yeah, been there and done that. lol

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What I've seen a bunch of lately are "zip ties". Not sure why, but I've had maybe 4 gloves in the last 2 months.

I've come across shoelaces, fishing line and sewing thread.

yeah it's amazing what people will use when the laces go. It's even better to see their reaction when you fix it up with brand new lace and condition the leather. That's the fun part.

And I agree- sometimes improvising is unavoidable.

rmiller wrote:
It's even better to see their reaction when you fix it up with brand new lace and condition the leather. That's the fun part.

Oh man, I couldn't agree with you more. That is a GREAT feeling! I did a glove last year for the grandson of my boss. The kid had used it for quite a while and the glove was all loose and floppy, the lacing all stretched out. He hadn't cleaned it or conditioned it since he'd gotten it. When he got it back from me, it was all cleaned and conditioned and snugged up because of the new lacing. He kept looking at it and telling me that it wasn't his glove. I was laughing so hard as I assured him that it was his! It had his name on it and everything and he still didn't believe me! When he put it on, it was snug on his hand and he didn't like it. I told him to play catch with it over the weekend, and if he still wasn't happy, I would re-lace it and make it looser. Well, the wife of my boss called me the following Monday and told me the glove was just perfect again and he loved it. He had played catch with it a few times and the glove had been re-broken in. He plays for his High School team now, and we always laugh about that when we see each other.

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wjr953 wrote:

rmiller wrote:
It's even better to see their reaction when you fix it up with brand new lace and condition the leather. That's the fun part.

Oh man, I couldn't agree with you more. That is a GREAT feeling! I did a glove last year for the grandson of my boss. The kid had used it for quite a while and the glove was all loose and floppy, the lacing all stretched out. He hadn't cleaned it or conditioned it since he'd gotten it. When he got it back from me, it was all cleaned and conditioned and snugged up because of the new lacing. He kept looking at it and telling me that it wasn't his glove. I was laughing so hard as I assured him that it was his! It had his name on it and everything and he still didn't believe me! When he put it on, it was snug on his hand and he didn't like it. I told him to play catch with it over the weekend, and if he still wasn't happy, I would re-lace it and make it looser. Well, the wife of my boss called me the following Monday and told me the glove was just perfect again and he loved it. He had played catch with it a few times and the glove had been re-broken in. He plays for his High School team now, and we always laugh about that when we see each other.

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I'm trying to get to the point of reconditioning the gloves. What I do now is just relace.

I do get some good reactions from people with the new lace.