WWW.GLOVE-WORKS.COM BASEBALL GLOVE COLLECTOR FORUM

Hey guys, first post!
I'm just throwing some of my collection up here for all to see since I took some pics today.
Every one of these is a Made in USA HOH with Horween (01) inside and out. None have ever been used. Not even for catch.
I believe they are all circa 1991. I'm considering using one or two as gamers but not sure if I can bring myself to do it.
Oh I threw in pics of my Louisville Icons as well since they are also USA made.
Enjoy!

Oops. Forgot one.

Outstanding collection! I'm jealous but glad to see them - I wish I would have started collecting when i was a teenager - these would have been some of the gloves I would have bought. Along with a few A2000's....

Thanks for posting these pics

I'm actually an A2000 guy myself, funny enough. I've never used a Rawlings glove in my life.

Does ^this^ mean you are one of the lucky Canadians that just struck tan & black gold on kijiji?

Yes sir. And I got all the good ones.

And as fantastic as it is to have these nostalgic pieces, they do not compare to modern HOHs or a2000s in my opinion. Though it is sort of comparing apples and oranges. It's cool to have 100 % horween, don't get me wrong. But modern day linings feel much nicer. None of the classic HOHs have pinky finger inserts (which I like. I like my gloves to stay in the shape I make them). None of them have any extra padding in the palm. I like a little extra, I find helps keep the shape.

I'm gonna say, of all the gloves I have and use, the best feeling lining is the ideal fit lining on the early 2000s Easton Professional models. And the hardest thickest lining is the Easton Premier Select Kip models from the late 2000s. Love them both.

Aside from superficial feel, my absolute favourite is my Wilson A2000 Kip. Don't think there were many of these made. It's 100% kip inside and out. The inside of the glove simply fits... like a glove. It's perfectly molded exactly to my hand. Which is how it should be for every glove. It's caught tens of thousands of balls (first base) and still has barely any wear in the pocket. I cleaned it and conditioned it for the first time ever (it's 10 years old) a couple of weeks ago but it looks the same as it did before. I'm a believer in working in a glove as it is. No oils or conditioners or water or heat. Just bend it, pound it, use it. I'd love to find another one but I doubt I ever will. Should have bought two when they were available.

Aaahhh I never get to talk baseball gloves. Feels good.

I guess you are an A2000 man....!

My experience is similar. I gamed an a2000 growing up and i own three others now. The most comfortable glove I've ever had on my hand is a 2007 orange tan made in japan A2000L - my son has often said the same thing about it when i let him try it on

I feel like I need a new A2000 that I can pitch with and play the occasional 3rd. Like an 11 3/4 modified trap. That would be my ideal next glove.

Just got my hands on this today. Looks like new old stock or minimum use. Stampings in excellent condition.



Anyone interested send me trade offers.

Very Nice!!! Heck of ma score and a heck of a glove:) I think this is actually a good discussion as I was just having one the other day that was similar and have often thought its too bad we cant get yesteryears leather with modern patterns. Maybe its not the same for a TB like yours, but you are ceritanly giving up comfort for look and leather when getting a new blackhorse and gaming it IMO. Im sure it plays great, but when I've used a few of my older ones you can tell they are older just by the way the feel and play. A teammate wanted to try a few of my gloves so I let him use a different one each day we would warm up. He knows nothing about gloves, but after using a USA stated that he was guessing it was older and was not as comfortable as the other ones. I know the older guys who have been gaming these all their lives dont care, but as much as younger guys go gaga for horween (not that they all even really know what that is sadly) they seem very quicj to trade their USAs away for something more current. Maybe these old usa gloves are headed to the shelf more often now a days in favor of the modern ones??

Yeah, at the moment I can't see myself actually using one of the USA HOHs for anything but maybe pitching. Who knows though. It's really tough to tell how a glove will play until it's game ready. The quality is definitely there in the catchers mitts. If I was a catcher I'd be using that thing for sure. Probably take a full season in the pen to break it in. I suppose it really is subjective. Different strokes for different folks. I've used a bunch of different gloves as I'm sure we all have and we all figure out what we like and why. I've come to love a very stiff glove. The harder to break in the better. With stiff inserts and thick fingers. I like a pocket shallow enough that I have to make it what it's going to be and a tight lining that's going to form to every finger. Most of these characteristics are easier to find in a modern glove IMO.

Very true!! The most surprising to me was then I broke in the 93 6HF. I like its looks and feel very much, and gamed it for a couple innings last week at 3rd. Normally I'm at 1st, and use an RV23 at 3rd. I had no issues with the 6HF, but liked the feel of the rv23 more. That may just be a preference in models but just the way the 6HF is shaped and having the extra heel legenth like the older gloves made it feel like it was an older glove. I'm still banging the drum for the new DM SPT being pretty close to baseball glove perfection, but these old ones are fun as well. As far as play is concerned I've spoke about my affection for the CMHC pattern. I had a close to new USA one that I got game ready and it got seriously floppy seriously quick and it was MUCH thinner than its Philippines counterpart, which is a very thick glove. I have a minty one that I've just used for couch catch from 98 and have not broken it in out of the fear it will play like my previous one and dont want to waste it. For that reason its prob the only semi shelf glove i'll ever have. I know you guys know what they look like, but for the sake of conversation here is an example of what I mean if its not clear above. The line of gromits makes that extra chunk of a right angle on the lower right of the heel obsolete. BTW, these are the two I use most often and its weird to see just how big of a difference the shape changed from 93-98. Obviously the different patterns matter, but theres no fuzz inside the 6hf and the pinkie finger slot feels different as well but maybe thats due to it being a fast back[url][URL=http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/andrewhasseler/media/IMG_20150831_205824_zps9vwfpteg.jpg.html][/url][/url]

My 98 Usa 1b may have the same shape, but it is very much thicker than a early 2000's for example
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It also occurred to me that it may have a bit to do with the shape. This example is the aforementioned SPT. If you work at it, you can give it the bowl shape, but it seems like it'd much rather naturally have a slight flair. Obviously you can give a glove any shape you want, but maybe 1 seems more natural than the other. In my limited experience with USA's it seemed like they would much more naturally take the bowl shape. Maybe its my imagination, but each one I've had and broke in it seems that was the tendency. If this isnt me being crazy and people prefer a slight flair now a days- that may also be why USAs will be shelved by younger guys as the break shape may be obsolete[url][URL=http://s1301.photobucket.com/user/andrewhasseler/media/IMG_20151006_215214_zpstgdevqqu.jpg.html][/url][/url]

Are you guys talking about playing softball or baseball?
I've been playing baseball for about 20 years now (rarely play softball) and after trying almost all of the popular models over the past decade I keep going back to my Rawlings USA's for gamers. Both outfield and infield - primarily outfield. Somebody mentioned them not having a pinky reinforcement or extra padding in them - I've never felt the need for that. Maybe that's a softball thing? Bigger, heavier ball so you like the stiffer edges on the gloves? I don't know. But for me it's not about nostalgia, I legitimately think they perform better in the field.