Saber Forum

From spinning to sparring or simply just to look BA, I am starting to realize the serious need of gloves. I'm not sure what to get though! looking for something with  good grip and maximum mobility with some protection on the knuckles. Not sure if anyone else has the same problems as me but it feels like every time i grab onto a practice saber its like holding hands with my junior high crush. My hands get so sweaty I swear I could ring the water out of them! and this makes it very hard to hang onto my saber especially when practicing spinning. Not to mention the blisters I get as well, it makes it very hard to practice for long duration's of time. if anyone has any suggestions please let me know!
Thanks!

Hey Rylo,

Personally I started with kendo kote but you lose your feel and grip of the hilt when taking a blow. If you look into lacrosse gloves you get protection and your fingers are free to feel around for a grip. If you want more feel and less padding I was looking at padded baseball batting gloves. You might get away with barely a flesh wound OR you might walk away wishing you had worn the lacrosse gloves. Hope this helps.


Lacrosse
Kote
Batters glove

None. I prefer bloody knuckles and losing my saber.

I've seen hockey gloves.

My lightsaber group uses motocross gloves with plastic guards on the knuckles. Look for TCBunny Carbon Fiber motorcycle gloves. Here they are on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/TCBunny%C2%AE-Pro-Biker-Motorcycle-Motorbike-Powersports/dp/B00GBVHQB8# (http://www.amazon.com/TCBunny%C2%AE-Pro-Biker-Motorcycle-Motorbike-Powersports/dp/B00GBVHQB8#)

Hey how are those guards for the thumb? Are those plates or pads? My kid catches me all the time with her bokken and if it wasnt for thick padding for my thumb they'd be busted.

Armored motorcycle gloves work good. Bag gloves work good (4 ounces).  Never been a fan of anything bigger, such as hockey etc.. To each their own. The lighter the better in my opinion. When we spar with Kali sticks we don't wear any gloves....can be painful at times.

Thanks for all the help guys! I think I'm going to end up getting some motorcycle gloves. Thanks for all the advice!


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thanks for the link! im going to try these out, my regular leather gloves didnt do much and lacrosse gloves look pretty bulky

They're plates, and they do work well. They're designed for motocross, so imagine taking rocks and chunks of dirt on the knuckles at 40+ mph. That should give you an ideal as to the protection they offer.

Plates, very nice! For now with the level of "control" my two kids have I'm gonna NEED the gauntlet style for my wrist. My daughter watched the "because science" bout the crossguards and loved the part about how often sabers maim people. She pretends to do that all the time now but her aim is not yet that of a Jedi master. I should mention that the underside of the lacrosse glove uses very thin material; padding is a bit thick for those advanced spinning moves no doubt but adds wrist protection.

edit: for $9 on sale now, I got mine lol.

Also see this older thread: http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=21838.0

Me, I use a pair of Vega Holster OG16 gloves, which I purchased before the Lamadiluce gloves came around.
Two years later and a lot of use, they are still OK, and my fingers too, despite a lot of abuse.

I just use my old Mechanix M-pact shooting gloves.
Tons of padding where it matters, but full finger mobility and grip.
I still do have some troubles with thumb shots though, may have to custom cut a plate to fit to the gloves while sparring.

You don't need a plate, neoprene finger sleeves for volleyball will do. You can put them over the gloves or under. See for example:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ai-7urQRL._SY300_.jpg
I used them on my old Mechanix too.

Normally the same gloves I use for steel. Either light padded gloves like these (http://www.trainingsschwerter.com/en/Training/Gloves/Padded-Glove.html), or for harder hits these (http://www.trainingsschwerter.com/en/Training/Gloves/KEVLAR-Reinforced-Light-Sparring-Gloves.html).

I highly recommend hockey or lacrosse gloves.  They look clumsy, but are actually not that way at all.  Just think about what they're designed for - controlling a stick and protecting the fingers from other sticks (usually wielded by strong athletes).  I use hockey gloves, and keep in mind I'm a fencer... so finger and wrist control are everything.

And that's EXACTLY what hockey gloves are designed for. Wrist and finger mobility.

The longsword-people in HEMA used to use those a lot, but the main problem is, that the wrist is totally unprotected. Also the sides of the pinky are prone to be smashed with most lacrosse-gloves.
There's been some advancement by now, though - the Red Dragon (http://www.trainingsschwerter.com/en/Training/Gloves/Red-Dragon-Gloves.html) gloves. Hard plates to protect the fingers and back of the hand, wrist-protection and the sides are cushioned too.
Only set-back (and the cause I don't use them) is, that with some fencing-jackets, the sleeves collide with the gloves and push them off the hand ...

You can get higher end gloves that don't have that problem with the pinky. I don't really see the problem with the wrist, but you COULD wear a pair of hockey elbow pads, that are designed to cover that. That combo would protect almost your entire arm.

Indeed!  That's what makes them work well for our purposes.



I would always recommend HEMA gear first and foremost, but it does get a bit pricey (which is prohibitive for newcomers).  That's why I recommend epee mask and hockey gloves to start, as a bare minimum.

It depends on your partner/opponent. But (even in canon) the weapons-hand is a main target. Getting hit there with a stick (and a LED-saber is nothing more than a stick in this regard) with enough force can lead to some serious injury at the joint. Don't underestimate the power of the lever.
As long as your partner fights really controlled (which is a sign of good technique), you don't need to worry. But more intense dueling requires a bit more protection.
The Red Dragons (and the other goves I linked to), are actually cheaper than most Lacrosse-gloves one can get here in Europe. This may differ in the US, though.

Hmmm, it may depend on where you are in the world then.  I've gotten hockey and lacrosse gloves on the clearance rack at sporting goods stores for as low as $13, whereas the Red Dragon gloves seem to be about $100 (not counting shipping).  If HEMA stuff is actually cheaper, then go for it!

High end hockey gloves(like the ones you see on NHL players) will approach $200 depending on brand/model. However, you can get a pair suitable for our purpose for about $30.

Yeah, definitely.  Most of mine have been $30 or under, basic brands.  Likewise, when I say epee mask, I mean the base model - Blue Gauntlet, Absolute Fencing, etc (not the FIE stuff for $200+)

I have a pair of CCM(one of the main NHL brands) that were $30, that I use for playing ball/street hockey and dueling. I've seen Bauer(who makes my favorite glove) and Easton, the other two main brands priced similarly. Those three all make basic all the way up to pro gloves. There's also Warrior, Eagle, STX, and a few old Reeboks pop up every so often(they're the same as the current CCM gloves, Reebok combined the lines). CCM and Bauer make real nice gloves.

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/pro-stock-hockey-gloves.html

Those pro stock ones are NHL surplus, and can be had for CHEAP if you don't mind some of the color schemes. The palm feel of a pro level glove is miles above what the $30 ones offer in feel, and they last way longer too. They also have quite a bit more padding than the basic ones.

Definitely. Hockey, and especially Lacrosse are not really widespread here, so there's not that much gear to be had. The cheapest Lacrosse-gloves I know of are about 60 € - my Red Dragons cost me about 80 € (so, that's 20 € more for a lot more protection  ;)). The light fencing gloves I buy for under 30 €, the heavier ones for 50 €.
This may suffice - but I've seen a lot of dented masks by now, most by sticks and pommel strikes, so I'd rather go for 800N at least. A back-of-the-head-protector is also a good addition.

Protection depends on intensity of fighting. I do a lot of sparring without any protection - but that's technical sparring, without really hard hitting. When upping the speed and intensity, I opt for mask, decent gloves and padded fencing jacket (SPES Axel Petterson in my case) and maybe leg protectors.
Doing HEMA as my main martial art, I already have that stuff, though.

can somebody who uses lacrosse or hockey gloves post a picture or two of them wearing the gloves and holding their saber? ivery time isee those kinds of gloves i just feel like they are too bulky to get a good grip on your saber, but i am open to trying them if i can be convinced  wink wink nudge nudge

I'll try to get a pic later.  The padding is really all on the back of the hand, the palm and fingers have great grip for a saber.  Keep in mind that those gloves are designed for sports where a good grip on a stick like object is crucial.

Each glove has a different fit profile as well, so I'd suggest trying them on to find one that fits well. ;)

That is true, stick sports should know what they're doing at this point I suppose. I like the motorcycle gloves I use but they are a little slick in the palms

Drive by post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om4i0J5Xg2g

Good timing Nonymous!  I haven't managed to grab a photo, I'm busy nonstop for a while here (at least until Sunday).

Oh s***! You're THAT nonymous??? Me and my Saber friends recently have been studying your channel, it is amazing, so much detail and useful stuff! Also do people tell you that you resemble James Hetfeild?

Happy to share this pic taken today! Fresh out the laundry, my pair of lacrosse gloves. These were mislabeled and on sale so that definitely helped to stay on budget. We are still using a safe pace but occasionally we get a little.... wild. The glove will make your hand a bigger target but its gonna get whacked no matter what size it is. I have been caught by a hilt and a blade in spaces where there is no protection on other gloves. For me, right now it boils down to; I am not at ludosport intensity or skill. Im gearing my kid and myself to train injury free to get to a skill level or state of health and fitness where less protection is less risky.

Hope this helps, good luck and be safe.
(http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p731/vickerzly/064_zpst8ynn2n5.jpg) (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/vickerzly/media/064_zpst8ynn2n5.jpg.html)

Whenever I see pads and gloves like that I think "You forgot your sweater, buddy." :D I have hockey on the brain pretty much 24/7.lol

LOL

Protection leads to Sweat, Sweat leads to Smell, Smell Leads to Suffering!

Holy damn the suffering...

psa - (save yourself money and wash/clean your stuff after every session.) ... the suffering.

awesome picture, my group is slowly getting more and more armored, i just got a fencing mask today so im approaching your level of protection, it makes it a lot easier to relax and focus not having to worry so much about serious injury. do you do a makashi style? why is your left hand baren!

Yea the armor helps you focus on whats important, no doubt.

Was warming up quick that day, wasnt planning on going too hard but mostly running the kid through her fencing lessons. I'm pretty much her target dummy as her coach doesnt really like me inadvertently contradicting their techniques. Wearing a steel bracer so we can hear her land a point and she can use gooood speed and strength on a moving target with out a whole lot of risk. We try to seperate as much as possible lightsaber forms and her fencing lessons. As you can imagine im getting a heavy Soresu work out lol.

Really good for getting to know someone! ;)

This for fun or serious workouts, exercise, development?

ah ok, i figured you werent always so brave as go go in one gloved
haha do they look down on lightsabers? or just like proper "technique" that is really cool that you guys can do this together.

my group is just for fun, but we tend to go a little hard. im starting to use this to get in better shape, i get exhausted way faster than i would like

lol safety first man. After we got started and her dominant arm got tired she wanted to switch but she wasnt geared up. Thats a no, no question lol. Not worth the down time I tell her. She can rest and her sister jumps in.

Her club, I dont know and I wont ask...yet. They are just looking out for her future with other coaches. So far its working out but its waaaaaay different, no idea if you fence but ask Master Nero for one if youre not familiar. Forgive me for name dropping.

Sounds like you all are lucky to have a "group". We have some options but we are still having fun as a family. We go almost an hour straight and this is random but the removable bib... love the removable bib in my mask! ;)

So glad i can be doing THIS with them. It could be "littlest pet shop" for an hour; which is great but exhausting in a completely different way, burns less calories and feels like 3 hours.

It's good to keep the lightsaber and fencing separate.  There's a lot of commonality, but you're talking about two inherently different rule systems.  The system fencing works within designates certain techniques, while the lightsaber is another matter entirely.

It's great that she's doing it though!  Once she gets a strong foundation in fencing, it'll certainly help her lightsaber dueling as well.  If you guys have any questions about equipment, competition, or anything else, please feel free to shoot me a PM or something.

Thank you and very much appreciated! You all at TPLA have been extremely helpful aready.

Sure thing!  I meant in terms of fencing as well, coaching this year has thrust (pun intended) me back into that world for better or worse lol

I personally just use fingerless training gloves...ones anyone would use  if they were doing weights in a gym. I do have some baseball batting gloves and use them if  I want more grip.

Seeing as my fingers are quite stubby for the size of my palm I tend not to want to use anything bulky as it not only reduces mobility in the wrist and fingers but I won't be able to grip the saber properly.... =(

Sizing can be tricky, but you'd be surprised how well hockey gloves allow you to grip and manipulate the saber.  I'm a fencer, accustomed to controlling weapons with my fingers and wrist, and they don't even manage to hinder me.

Well, I don't have hockey gloves but I DO have cricket batting gloves. Lots of padding. Supposed to protect the hand and fingers from a hard leather ball  that weighs just under 160g that can be fired at you at speeds in excess of 150km/h (or more than 90mph) at least in the professional arena anyway. Typically it's more like 100-120kmh / 60-75mph at local sports club level.

Downside is no wrist protection...but there is a cotton elasticized wristband with a velcro strap.

Could be a good start, I don't know much about cricket equipment but it seems appropriate enough.

You can use hockey slash guards for some wrist protection. They're basically a lightly padded wristband that protects your wrist from, you guessed it, stick slashes.

http://www.icewarehouse.com/Wristbands__Wrist_Guards/catpage-ACCWRIST.html

They're typically used to cover the bit of gap between a player's gloves and the forearm guard on their elbow pads when stick handling, which can leave that area exposed to an errant stick.

I use padded engine gloves in black from the auto parts store. Works well, can get a good grip and my hands don't feel it when the knuckles get a rap.

I use mainly MMA gloves and some times Nunchaku training gloves (that are used also for cane training).

I had this question too, but with both this thread and the other older one, I like some of the ideas. My friends definitely don't go easy when we spar.

I'd say it would depend on the intended use.

I wanted some padding obviously, but still wanted to look good at cons.

I opted for half-finger (easier to grab things - cards, coins, allen keys...) special ops light assault gloves:

(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w405/seanhewer/2016-04-13%2004.53.39_zpselo4i9s6.jpg) 

No really, that's what they were called on Amazon.  They were relatively inexpensive.

For pure combat, I'd listen to Master Nero Attoru.  Can't argue with that.

I actually got some like those at Academy this weekend. It is going to take some getting use to, because a change in contact with the saber, but they protect my hands in this weekends sparring.