MATERIAL DESCRIPTION - FABRICS
Various fabrics that combine strength and softness are used in the manufacture of work gloves. The most popular of these is canton flannel; another is knit jersey; a third is terry cloth.
These have been the basic materials for work gloves for the last fifty years. Cuffs for work gloves are made either of knit jersey or various drill materials, laminated with rubber to give them substance and strength.
Canton flannel, the most widely used material, is made of thin strong thread, laid out in warps ten thousand yards in
length. The filling used to weave the material is a thick soft yarn. A napper catches the fibers on the filling and pulls them out, giving the cloth a nap, which is soft to the hand. Basically, its purpose is to keep abrasion from the hand. The drill side is usually presented to the work. This material is typically made in widths of 35 inches.
As an industry standard, the most popular is the material weighing 8-ounces for one square yard. Heavier material is available in graduations of two ounces, i.e., 10 ounces, 12 ounces, etc. When material is over 12ounces per yard, it is usually combined with another woven flannel to make double thickness, double palm gloves.
Jersey is much the same, being knit with a combination of thin strong yarn and thick soft yarn. It is knit in a tubular form and it too is run through the nappers to give the soft, fleecy feel which is generally used as the inside of the glove.
Terry cloth, on the other hand, is all the same type of yarn and is made in loops to give a cushioning effect to the hand. The loops and twirls tend to prevent edges of steel, burrs, etc. from cutting through as they would a smooth surface, giving added safety. |