Nylon or Syn Leather

[Biskitindabaskit 0]

What it really boils down to is looks. All things considered, most players are going to buy what looks best to them on the rack. Synth Leather, I believe, looks better to most people, and will probably continue to outsell its nylon counterparts. Let's face it, it really is hard to get nylon looking as flashy as synthetic leather.

If Sande is selling to a very niche market like us, then maybe nylon is the way to go for now; however, to sell a ton of gloves to teenage house league players, ProGlo pimpalicious will reign supreme. Or perhaps some new Space Age material that's shiny and astronaut approved...

Good point.

I personaly could care less about looks or how shiny(sp?) something is, but alot of players care way more about how cool something looks than how good it preforms. I just use what works for me personaly and right now its snythetic leather. Not that nylon is bad or anything (my brother loves his nylons) it will just take alot to get a good percentage of hockey players to switch.

[Chadd 916]

My main criteria is that the gloves actually fit me. I have problems finding gloves that are comfortable and the high end gloves often don't fit me well. Right now, I'm using R2s simply because I like the tapered, split fingers and the overall fit. I still don't like the palms but hey, you make sacrifices.

I have never tried a pair of nylon gloves that I actually liked. The PIA had a bunch of Flyer nylon rejects and they just didn't work for me, mostly due to fit issues. My old Graf 700s outer shells are damn near destroyed because of how thin the material was, while the palms are still functional because they were thicker and more durable. Great gloves just very thin Porto on the shell.

[cds 0]

On the topic of people wanting good looking gloves, from my experience, synthetic leather starts to scuff and look like crap pretty quickly. Same goes for Proglo. Nylon may not start out as pretty, but at least it won't mark up so fast. Although I doubt people are going to think about stuff like this when making their initial purchase.

[Biskitindabaskit 0]

Yeah I dont think most ppl think "Oh I wonder if these gloves will look this pimp in a year??"

[Sande 0]

I think in my personal R&D experience, Nylon best feature is feel. It is not as stiff, it is lighter. Durabilty is roughly the same. Syn leather actually gets the edge there. But... would you pay the same price for leather and or nylon? think about this is almost the deciding factor. and you guys led me to it. This high tech nylon is about the same price as the leather. But the reason we are in the delimma is i want to try to bring something new to the market, think outside the box a little. If you ahve ideas we are always listening. it would be just to hard to inventory both for all the models. But this is a specail focus group. you guys know more than most do about gear.

[bulletproof_funk 0]

How exactly did ballistic nylon come to be used in hockey gloves (i.e. what's its history glove-wise)?

[Biskitindabaskit 0]

Nylon for sure is way more flexable than sythetic leather. Which is great for performance and feel, but its hard to do this without the glove manufactuer coming off looking "cheep" That is what will guide alot of ppl away from nylons. These days the consumer is looking for the most snazzy and exspensive peice of gear they can find. Its just like cars, clothes or anything else.

[asdfa 0]

again, as hockeyshark said, if sande chooses to use material similar to the cable knit on shark's response gloves, i'm sure people will flock to nylon, simply because it does not look any worse (or, IMO, better) compared to syn leather. the performance benefits are just an added bonus.

as far as durability goes, a good syn leather glove is definately more durable than a nylon glove, i've had my muskokas for a year and i can't even see a smudge (they're in black). what i'm really interested in seeing is a glove that doesn't get all crusty/smelly on the inside. if sande can provide a glove that stays fresh, i'm sure they'll have a winner

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Nylon all the way. I have used syn. leather for all my life untill I got my prostock HGTs from jay. They had absoloutly NO breakin time, at all. Feel lighter than any glove I have ever felt, and dry amazingly quick. Also I think they look great. Not cheap at all. I would without a doubt go with nylon.

[Petey21 1]

Nylon would be the better option (unless it's possible to make them both so people have a choice?), it's just too bad that some people care more about looks than performance, even in the world of hockey equipment. Although if more pros were using nylon maybe more people would wanna use that as their favorite pros are using it as well?

[Biskitindabaskit 0]

I have it. Sande should sponsor someone pretty big to wear Sande gloves.

[lee92 2]

i'd say nylon, but no one carries sande around me so it doesn't really impact me all that much. and i'm not sure if the synthetic leather gloves last that long. i had a pair of easton ultra lite pros last yr (03' model) and within 6 months the whole outside of the glove was torn apart. the syn leather had ripped apart all over one thumb, as well as chips n chunks missing here and there on the fingers and back rolls. on my syn leather hgt's, i have the same probly with pieces of the syn leather ripping away from the fingers, and cuts across the cuff and backrolls. they're still holding up tho and are no wheres near as severe as my old eastons. i'd love to try a high quality nylon glove, and find out for myself all these benefits. in my opinion, i like the look of the nylons more than most synthetic leather gloves, besides the new carbon weave on the eagles

[Eazy_b97 1]

I'd definately set myself apart, for the materials I am in a Nylong phase right now, although I do not have them, I do want them. Why? I really couldn't tell you. I agree you should set yourself apart, definately use the "best of" materials, and I would also create awareness for your custom program.

What I think is critical is creating awareness - Send out a glove like Bauer did (where you could see the inside), but this time have the rolls with competitors materials so they could see the difference, from there have an attachment to the glove with a brief explanation of the advantages. I think this would help boast sales, the people who are willing to buy top end, generally are open to new brands if they claim to have an advantage. Get the employee's on side and your great. I think both (leather and Nylon) have pro's and con's, just let the pro's be known.

[CaptainZbubble 0]

Sande could always get some members to test a sande glove with nylon. Word of mouth through kids is huge. Here's a example, I have started a t-blade trend on my team and nearly 3/4 of the kids on my team use them...heres the funny part, none of them herd of t-blade's before me! It all started with a few questions on a new style product. I let a few kids try my skates for some practices, now they swear by t-blades like i do. It could easliy happen with gloves if kids get the right exposer to them.......just a thought.

CaptainZbubble

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Capt. your very right. I started a HGT trend on my team with my Nylon HGT's. Kids want the nylon, but can't get it anywhere. They like love my gloves and alwyas want to try them. I definatly say nylon.

[ambro 0]

I think you should make retails synthetic leather, then offer nylon as a custom option at no extra cost since the materials cost the same.

[MDE3 0]

  what i'm really interested in seeing is a glove that doesn't get all crusty/smelly on the inside.  if sande can provide a glove that stays fresh, i'm sure they'll have a winner

The technology is already there to do this...but the extra cost (which is not really all that great) in a very competitive market kind of keeps the manufacturers away...plus if the equipment doesn't stink...people may keep it longer. B)

I do not remember my old (very old) leather gloves ever smelling as bad as the modern gloves(they still smelled, but it was not like the jolt of amonia I have gotten with the newer stuff) with the various synthetic materials.

In fact one winter I spent considerable time trying to find the cat that kept sneaking into the back garage where I kept my coaching bag, and whom I was sure was urinating in my bag on a regular basis. Washed the gloves several times and finally just had to toss them...they had no other problems. . It was when the second set did the same thing that I realized it was a "mythical feline"....and I could no longer blame the cat whenever I opened my bag in public.

I for one would buy the "no stink" versions and pay the premium.

[Vapor 0]

Gotaskin and (eagle) mustang palms dont smell, or claim not to.

[Dave 1]

Not bad looking for a Nylon glove, eh?

[duckjob 1]

Not bad looking for a Nylon glove, eh?

wow. thats a damn sexy glove. :)

[Sande 0]

well we did decide what we wanted to do... we will go with the Nylon. after analizing our nylon fabric, and the fabric technical specifications, we have decided to go Nylon on the new Sande MAX PRO model to be availble very soon as new for 2005. thanks for being part of the process to all who voted and participated.

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Good choice. Ill probably be looking to pick a pair up.

[Sande 0]

i will also tell you this, there is more than just nylon to them as well. wink, wink, wink. that is all i will leave you with for now.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Kevlar?

[sikocycles 1]

Latex?