How do pro's break in their gloves?

[Jordan 13]

I have leather gloves, and the guy at the store did the skate oven trick for me and I have to say that they are extremely soft.

Also, much more than the strength of the pros, it is the daily use that compounds the breakdown. Have you ever seen the ski boots of a ski instructor etc? There is just a huge difference in wear; sort of like a taxi cab versus a regular car.

[DarkStar50 679]

I know in the past the best/quickest way to break in a pair of gloves was to get them re-palmed. But that was maybe 10 years ago when the palms that came on the gloves weren't anything fancy like some of today's palms. Back in college we had a retired NHL expert equipment repairman who helped us out and he would do some amazing work, his re-palms were a work of art and the second you put them on the gloves would feel completely broken in like you've been wearing them for years and years. Unfortunately he passed away a few years back at the age of 84 but his name and some of his work lives forever in the Hall of Fame.

So yea re-palm is my suggestion. But to be honest, most of these newer gloves today almost seem broken in off the shelf. I had to buy a new pair earlier this season and I was amazed at how flexible they were, I picked up a pair of Graf's and they're almost too broken in.

Milton Papps?

[Jarick 5]

I just wore mine. Hit them with a heat gun a little helped, but it only took a few ice times to break in. And when I got them re-palmed, they were super soft right away.

[sdcopp 1]

the shaving cream thing was done at my LHS when they baked my new SherWood gloves (the traditional, all leather Pro 9950). I tried using the shaving cream on an older pair of gloves that were starting to get a little stiff in the palms and it helped.

Ultimately these tricks just help, they don't replace the wearing them in process.

[the_game 452]

I know in the past the best/quickest way to break in a pair of gloves was to get them re-palmed. But that was maybe 10 years ago when the palms that came on the gloves weren't anything fancy like some of today's palms. Back in college we had a retired NHL expert equipment repairman who helped us out and he would do some amazing work, his re-palms were a work of art and the second you put them on the gloves would feel completely broken in like you've been wearing them for years and years. Unfortunately he passed away a few years back at the age of 84 but his name and some of his work lives forever in the Hall of Fame.

So yea re-palm is my suggestion. But to be honest, most of these newer gloves today almost seem broken in off the shelf. I had to buy a new pair earlier this season and I was amazed at how flexible they were, I picked up a pair of Graf's and they're almost too broken in.

Milton Papps?

Has to be good 'ol Milty. He re-palmed and fixed a few pairs of gloves for me as a kid and stitched life back into some skates too growing up on the Island.

As with breaking in gloves, gotta go with the baking method. I've done it on the past couple pairs of gloves I've gotten and it works out pretty well. Combine that with regular wear and they'll be broken-in in no time.

[mrusse01 0]

With my 4 rolls I put them between my mattress and box spring and slept on them for a few nights...seemed to help, and doesn't sound as potentially damaging as putting them in the washing machine.

My Vapor XXX's were pratically broken in from the day I got them, but the 4 rolls took a bit getting used to.

[xstartxtodayx 343]

Milton Papps?

Has to be good 'ol Milty. He re-palmed and fixed a few pairs of gloves for me as a kid and stitched life back into some skates too growing up on the Island.

As with breaking in gloves, gotta go with the baking method. I've done it on the past couple pairs of gloves I've gotten and it works out pretty well. Combine that with regular wear and they'll be broken-in in no time.

Yup, good old Milty Papps :D my first couple of years playing at CW Post he helped out w/ the goalies and also fixed up some equipment and sharpened some skates for us, he was a great guy and really knew how to work on gloves and skates.

[TBLfan 25]

I know in the past the best/quickest way to break in a pair of gloves was to get them re-palmed. But that was maybe 10 years ago when the palms that came on the gloves weren't anything fancy like some of today's palms. Back in college we had a retired NHL expert equipment repairman who helped us out and he would do some amazing work, his re-palms were a work of art and the second you put them on the gloves would feel completely broken in like you've been wearing them for years and years. Unfortunately he passed away a few years back at the age of 84 but his name and some of his work lives forever in the Hall of Fame.

So yea re-palm is my suggestion. But to be honest, most of these newer gloves today almost seem broken in off the shelf. I had to buy a new pair earlier this season and I was amazed at how flexible they were, I picked up a pair of Graf's and they're almost too broken in.

Milton Papps?

Has to be good 'ol Milty. He re-palmed and fixed a few pairs of gloves for me as a kid and stitched life back into some skates too growing up on the Island.

As with breaking in gloves, gotta go with the baking method. I've done it on the past couple pairs of gloves I've gotten and it works out pretty well. Combine that with regular wear and they'll be broken-in in no time.

I think one of the things that might help the gloves break in more are the warmers to dry the gloves out after or in-between periods. Wet, warm, wet, warm, wet, warm every game. Other than that... they use them a LOT.

Baking certainly helps too.

[camhockey16 5]

i know that at least a few nhl goalies steam their new equipment to break it in - maybe its possible to do with gloves and other equipment too

from what i remember carey price used steam to break in his new set of vaughn equipment last year - im just not sure what piece of equipment he used to do it with.

[AWE46M3 0]

I find this thread somewhat funny. Honestly, when I get gloves, if they dont feel right off the shelf, then I simply look at the next pair. Why buy gloves that require all this work? I've found the better the glove, the better the material, the less "break-in" time.

[johnpace2 0]

I find this thread somewhat funny. Honestly, when I get gloves, if they dont feel right off the shelf, then I simply look at the next pair. Why buy gloves that require all this work? I've found the better the glove, the better the material, the less "break-in" time.

I agree with you. All the modern gloves I've bought felt perfectly broken in right away. If they were ultra stiff, I just move to the next pair.

I guess I'm missing something, but they work fine for me.

Also, I guess I'm missing why people are paying $100+ for a SINGLE pair of RBK Edge practice socks on ebay. WTF is that?

[mack 44]

What, dumb people stopped existing?

[sdcopp 1]

I find this thread somewhat funny. Honestly, when I get gloves, if they dont feel right off the shelf, then I simply look at the next pair. Why buy gloves that require all this work? I've found the better the glove, the better the material, the less "break-in" time.

depends on what the glove is made of. Spreedizzle and TBLfan I know both have custom Eagles that were butter right out of the box, and if you want to spend well north of $200 then it's a solid choice.

The SherWood 9950 gloves I picked up ran $90 and will last forever with proper care. Because they are more traditional materials they didn't feel perfect off the shelf and require a bit of break-in. The owner of the LHS I picked them up at has had a pair of the SherWood gloves for between 6 and 8 years with a few repalms done on them and plenty of life still. "Better" materials is a real relative term.

[DarkStar50 679]

There is absolutely no break in time for Eagle PPF gloves. I ordered Spree's for him. The flexibilty out of the box was awesome. The Eagle PPF is expensive but worth it if you take care of them and get them repalmed down the road.

[johnpace2 0]

What, dumb people stopped existing?

I should put my Edge socks from the Caps up on ebay. The weird thing is that they are paying a lot more for the plain practice variety. I guess they are ultra rare. :P

I guess I'm just not as finicky as some... Hell in gloves, 13's, 14's and 15's all feel just fine to me... I can go back and forth without issue.

I bought my Bauer 4 Rolls retail and they felt great right off the shelf.

[TBLfan 25]

There is absolutely no break in time for Eagle PPF gloves. I ordered Spree's for him. The flexibilty out of the box was awesome. The Eagle PPF is expensive but worth it if you take care of them and get them repalmed down the road.

I doubt he'll be repalming them ANYTIME remotely soon. His double layer is holding up well(last time I asked) and my single layer is still practically new, barely discolored and not a bit of fraying. Not bad for 10 months and I probably use those gloves once a week on average.

[MLSman 22]

I find that just about any new pro-stock or well made glove needs no break-in time. From pro-stock 4-rolls, vapor XXXs, and Eagle CP92s, I have been able to go from box to ice with no work.

[Rustpot 1]

I find that just about any new pro-stock or well made glove needs no break-in time. From pro-stock 4-rolls, vapor XXXs, and Eagle CP92s, I have been able to go from box to ice with no work.

Pro Eastons are pretty stiff when new. I had to bake mine a couple times to get the fingers to flex enough to where I could actually pick up a stick.

[TBLfan 25]

I find that just about any new pro-stock or well made glove needs no break-in time. From pro-stock 4-rolls, vapor XXXs, and Eagle CP92s, I have been able to go from box to ice with no work.

Pro Eastons are pretty stiff when new. I had to bake mine a couple times to get the fingers to flex enough to where I could actually pick up a stick.

Agreed. But when they break in they're beautiful. At first they're one of the stiffest gloves available.

[MLSman 22]

Agreed....the Easton is VERY stiff, especially in the cuff area. I am not a fan of the glove...just not my cup of tea.

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

Agreed....the Easton is VERY stiff, especially in the cuff area. I am not a fan of the glove...just not my cup of tea.

Except one, and I'm not giving those up. ;) But then again, I did say I'd never give up my Flyweights and I wasn't even drunk when we made the transaction.

[MLSman 22]

Except one, and I'm not giving those up. ;) But then again, I did say I'd never give up my Flyweights and I wasn't even drunk when we made the transaction.

Sickest Eastons EVER! I have never felt a glove like that before. Those are amazing, and it would take bribe pictures while I was drunk for me to give those up if they were mine.

[phunky_monkey 6]

My X70's felt beautiful out of the box. Of course after about 8-9 games they feel better now, but nothing I noticed too much on the ice.

The softest glove I've tried is the Warrior Franchise. Tries it on in my LHS the other day and the things were so soft it was ridiculous. Very comfy.

[Rustpot 1]

I find that just about any new pro-stock or well made glove needs no break-in time. From pro-stock 4-rolls, vapor XXXs, and Eagle CP92s, I have been able to go from box to ice with no work.

Pro Eastons are pretty stiff when new. I had to bake mine a couple times to get the fingers to flex enough to where I could actually pick up a stick.

Agreed. But when they break in they're beautiful. At first they're one of the stiffest gloves available.

I was in a Perani's yesterday and I think the retail 5k and some classic solid-finger Hespelers would give the pro Eastons a run on stiff-out-of-the-box, though they're both built straight-fingered where the Eastons are built with a wicked curl to them.

The softest glove I've tried is the Warrior Franchise. Tries it on in my LHS the other day and the things were so soft it was ridiculous. Very comfy.

I tried a pair on as well. I thought the thumb had too much freedom, the finish on the gussets was off... they were soft but not on par with Eagles for the price IMO.

[DarkStar50 679]

The NBH Vapor XXXX gloves I scored on ebay from last year's Team Canada Jr Team were exceptionally flexy when I got them. The ultra thin pro palm and split fingers make this a glove ready to go from Day 1.

I have another pair of Cooper 4 rolls from the mid 90s that I repalmed but could never get to feel right. I am going to experiment with baking them. We'll see what happens...........