Nokonas

[DT]

Nice writeup softball66. I, for one, would love to see those pictures.

[softball66]

For those of you interested I will send the Nokona images I have to your personal email address. If I get enough requests on these, I'll post them on this forum. I don't have them in photobucket at this time.
Joe

[Cowboy7130]

I really REALLY want a Nokona ... I gotta get myself one for Christmas ...

I have noticed that the Sandstone series is said to have more body and stiffness than the buffalo gloves. I also noticed that the company introduced the series when members of this forum mentioned that the buffalo gloves were sometimes too "flimsy." Now, maybe it is just coincidence, but I find it admirable that the company responded to what several people had said about their gloves.

[Mike_2007]

My Buckaroo:


front:


which one is prettier?



profiles:

[dapert]

I say the Nokona is prettier because that Rawlings has freckles.

[Mike_2007]

well, Cheryl Tiegs had freckles and shes pretty:

[Cowboy7130]

hehehe .... I bought a Wilson Shooting Star Fieldmaster WO15 off ebay last year ... and it has freckles on the outside ... looks like the spray from somebody spraying wd40 close by ... anyway I love the old glove, and when I go get a glove to play catch, I tell myself I am "going to get ol' Freckles ..." and I have a great time!

Mike, that Nokona is beautiful!

[softball66]

Got 'em bucketed. Here's first shot of Rob Storey, current head, right and his dad, Bobby Storey, chairman, checkin' out the Nokona leather sign.

[softball66]

Here's a shot of Nocona Chairman Bob Storey looking over some ready-to- ship Nokonas. Bobby uses some colorful "old tyme" expressions for gloves and leather that you guys will appreciate. Glove leather in the leather business has generically been called "crunch" leather in the trade and Bobby uses that term. Catchers mitt leather, he term's "bull hide" and really tough, thick leather, "strap leather."

[softball66]

Lacing and assembly area inside the Nocona plant. I have another shot of Cheryl Tiegs, at work, putting freckles on the Nocona leather, but I've chosen to keep that in my private collection.

[dapert]

my wife has freckles and she smacked me upside the back of the head at my "humor"

[softball66]

Here's a department one doesn't think about much for a glove factory but here's where the iron fingers are heated and sent through the finger channels of the glove to help straighten and form them. I've also seen pictures of this same operation in pictures of the glove makers of the 1930s.
Believe me the fingers wouldn't work nearly as well without this taking place.

[awarsoca]

thanks for sharing the pictures!

[Turning643s]

I'm neither a Nokona consultant or a doctoral candidate of their history, just a good ol' accountant. Still, I love their gloves enough to make a trip thru town when I'm up that way. I haven't taken the tour yet, but I think it would be great to see the process in action. Most manufacturing processes are pretty interesting in general but too see one where it's done by hand by true craftsmen would be amazing. Just let all the folks at Nokona know that their product still commands the utmost respect from the ball playing world. Thanks for making a great glove right here in Texas!

[RedSoxFan81]

Well I said I'd post as soon as I get my glove. My nokona Buffalo model modified trap 11.5" just showed up about 10 minutes ago. The glove is very soft.Amazing craftsmanship. I guess I opted for the buffalo model due to the fact that I own a Rawlings Horween PRO 1000H so I really have no reason to purchase another glove that is really stiff, plus an overly stiff glove does not work for me in the infield.The glove feels great on my hand. I may end up doing some rigging of custom pinky/thumb inserts to add a little stiffness in those areas.No joke, this glove is game ready as is. It kinda shocked me when I took it out of the box, but I'm also happy because I can just shape the pinky/thumb to my liking and go out and use it in my next game. Hahaha, it's more broke in than my Rawlings that i've been working on for months now! if it breaks down and doesn't work for me I will likely sell it to a member on here for a deal. I know they offer the combo, but I like the softer area of my glove on the inside and exterior to retain a little stiffness, and the combo gloves have the soft ( buffalo outside/walnut inside) . Anybody else use their buffalo as a game glove?