Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

These are such great photos from BretMan and an interesting topic, I thought I would extend the thread a little into the origins and varieties of the Goldsmith "Snare" webbing. Below is a catalog illustration from 1936 showing the model GS from above.



Some of the web innovations in gloves originated with first base mitts because of the difficulty in fielding the first base position. This full web Goldsmith "Snare" model base mitt definitely has a unique look.


Below is a 1936 catalog illustration of a Goldsmith base mitt with a rolled lace web. Pretty cool and possibly influenced by first baseman Hank Greenberg of Detroit, who was tall but still benefited from the extra reach the mitt afforded.


By 1938 other brands such as KenWel and Stall & Dean offered a "Greenberg Style" snare web


Goldsmith experimented with several "Snare" styles over the years.



The cross web "Snare" design of the 1930's mitt above was later modified and patented for both base mitts and fielders gloves in 1949.







The web of the 1930's "Mickey Heath" model above could have eventually morphed into the T-Web found on many brands.


The popularity of the "Trapper" style base mitt of the 1940's seems like inspiration for the classic "Snare" model SG of 1949.


I'm saving my favorite for last. This one of a kind Goldsmith "Snare" model glove below features a combination of perimeter lacing and webbing usually found on the laced web style of most base mitts of the period.

We have ventured into a lively discussion of the web systems of the late 1930s and one of the most discussed webs of all time in the rolled lace or lacing only gloves of that time. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Goldsmith may have had the chicken but Rawlings laid the egg with the into of its trapper and rolled lace Rolfe glove.
And what shall we call that MacGregor Selkirk glove web, a "Mushroom" web> It had the tunnel lacing but appears to have been mosty vertical or looped. I've only seen a few of these in person, but rare birds. And I seem to remember that I had a Goldsmith Red Lucas glove that had nothing but lacing for its web. It's since departed here.
Greenberg fashioned more of a fishnet for his base mitt but he may have borrow the idea from some of the basket net webs.
I owned both the Trapper and Snare first basemitts as a kid (sorry about revealing my age) but liked to play with both of them. The ball really relaxed into these webs. They hit there and they were "caught!"
Mike, wasn't there a "Valdes Modelo" Goldsmith from 1932 that had a lacing effect web?
A good stream of thoughts on these postings. Love the pictures being posted!

Fun topic. Hey Joe, the Valdes Model had the special lacing on the back, not the web. Great post on the big glove finds. Thanks.

JD

Hi guys,

Cool gloves. Joe that was funny with the comment that Rawlings laid the egg. LOL

I labeled that Goldsmith style "mushroom web" you mentioned as a "shoehorn" web in my last glove book. I think JD and I talked about the shape of that funky web as I was writing the book and labeling a few funky webs and we came up with it looking like a shoehorn.

That snare web that Mike favored and looks to be similar to the basemit web with the lacing running the parameter of the index finger and thumb is a very unique web as Mike described it in his description. I am almost thinking Rob (glovecrazy) has a similar one but not sure if it is a Goldsmith brand. Cool gloves.

Dave

I thought that was a pretty good find on my part to locate the Goldsmith model HG rolled lace model from a 1936 Elliot Arms catalog from JD's site. Have any catalog pictures of a Rawlings rolled lace glove or mitt come earlier than that time period?