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kammansmom
36 Posts |
 Posted - 10/14/2012 : 21:01:02
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| Anyone have any feedback (good or bad) on the glove steaming process? |
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Cardsfan17
24 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2012 : 21:41:39
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| I've heard good and bad, but it definitely worked for us when we needed a glove broken in quickly. The glove was game ready in days instead of weeks. |
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DeadHead
158 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2012 : 08:14:08
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| Agree. Did it for a catchers mitt and fielders mitt. Break in process was greatly increased. |
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prestont
197 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2012 : 09:27:48
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I'd recommend steaming, it really does help. A few years ago we were at a local park getting some reps in before try-outs, and my son left his glove! Nothing like trying to break-in a new glove during try-outs, eh? We wound up getting a new glove, got it steamed, and it was fine @ try-outs the next week. We've even had it done for some of my sons teammates with catchers mitt's, and it really does speed up the break-in period.
Another good idea is one I got from one of my sons former coaches. Everyone says best way to break-in a glove is to catch with it (over & over & over). He said when he would get new gloves when he was in the minors & majors - he'd head over to a place like Sports-a-rama and plunk down $5-$10 to catch balls from the pitching machine in the batting cage. |
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ryaajus
23 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2012 : 09:57:42
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| I always use shaving cream. I massage it into the leather and it breaks it in very quickly. It works everytime |
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Coach D
167 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2012 : 11:28:44
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quote:
Originally posted by ryaajus
I always use shaving cream. I massage it into the leather and it breaks it in very quickly. It works everytime
Have you tried putting it in the oven for about 10 mins after you soak in shaving cream . Game ready overnight . |
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ivpartner
80 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2012 : 14:43:54
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I have spoken to numerous glove dealers and also the folks at Better Baseball, who have a steamer machine for gloves. NONE of them recommend using steam for high end leather gloves. If you plan on shelling out $250-$400 dollars for a high end Mizuno, Rawlings, or Wilson glove, I would highly recommend you call the manufacturer before using steam or anything else to break in your glove.
Great leather gloves, if maintained properly, can be passed down to your grandson in 30 years. |
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in_the_know
985 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2012 : 15:53:03
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Completely agree with ivpartner.
There is a trade-off with the "quick fix" break in methods. You trade useful life of the glove for immediate gratification. Basically, all of the methods described (oven, break in formula, shaving cream, steam, etc), break down the leather. It will make the leather softer in areas you don't necessarily want it softer. Areas that you do want to break down will break down faster and continue to.
If you're sinking north of $200 in the glove, plan ahead. Don't wait for your current glove to die. Get your new one in the fall and use practices to begin breaking it in for spring and use your old glove for games until the new one is ready. If you need a "gamer" for now, you can buy game ready gloves (notice that most of those are on the less expensive end of the scale . . . hmmmmmm). Don't ruin a nice Pro Preferred, Primo or A2000 by popping it in the oven loaded with Barbasol. There is no free lunch. Good article below on all of the suggested methods mentioned in this thread.
http://mattinglysports.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/breaking-in-your-new-glovh/ |
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stanlewis
545 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2012 : 16:14:41
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This if for those of you that have steamed a glove.
I have repaired a number of relatively new gloves where the lacing had become brittle and broken in multiple spots. The lacing wasn't worn but you could bend it back and forth and it would break like wire. Most of them had been steamed. Just wondering if this is a fluke or a side effect of being steamed. |
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Mad1
252 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2012 : 23:01:39
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| My grandson has a A2000, Tpx Pro Flare and a Mizuno Pro model and the mizuno was only one not steamed and seems to have broke in the best, but is also the newest. I would just oil and use in practice as we did with the mizuno, he seems to think this made for a better fit and feel for him once broke in. The laces on the steamed models seemed to harden to the feel a little more too. |
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kammansmom
36 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2012 : 06:24:33
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Thanks for the feedback everyone. Think we will just go with the old fashion way. A little oil and him and his Dad throwing...after all, he will enjoy that a little more I am sure :-)
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Lester
4 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2012 : 07:28:35
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| I found the best way to break in a glove from a web video by someone at Rawlings. Rub some mink oil in the pocket and leave the glove in the trunk of your car all day. Let the glove get good and warm during the day... take the glove out and play catch. Repeat the process over and over. This will break in the glove very nicely without doing any damage to the internal strings. The Rawlings people cautioned against putting a glove in an oven, especially a microwave because it tends to dry out the internal stringing. It took my son about 3 or 4 weeks to get his glove in playing shape but he is very pleased with the results. |
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peashooter
297 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2012 : 15:50:36
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| You can hit it with a bat tooo...choke all the way up and pound the pocket. |
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Gwinnett
791 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2012 : 18:44:31
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Go to Lowes and buy a 10-12 inch long, 1/2 lag screw then grab an old ball out of your bucket and drill a 7/16 hole in it about half way. Screw it into the ball and tape the threads that are showing (so they don't cut the mit) and now you can oil the mit and pound away till desired tenderness....lol
quote:
Originally posted by peashooter
You can hit it with a bat tooo...choke all the way up and pound the pocket.
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PeachFuzz
76 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2012 : 13:13:59
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| If you get your glove at Better Baseball, ask them if you can use the batting cage for a few minutes. We bought two gloves there,(1B and IF) we oiled them down and he then went into the batting cage and sat on a bucket and caught about 5-6 buckets of balls from the pitching machine. Immediately, game ready. |
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ECBdad
21 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2012 : 21:44:05
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| Steaming will break it in quickly but only expect to get a year or so out of the glove. Of course the manufacturers will recommend steaming as they want to sell you more gloves. A year after steaming my son's glove was just mush. |
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Jack-of-Diamonds
152 Posts |
Posted - 10/19/2012 : 10:25:40
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Here's a link to a video of Wilson Master Glove Designer Shigeaki Aso breaking in an A2K for Cincinnati Reds 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYQ5hmuDVUY
Aso uses a lot of pounding, folding, stretching, pushing & pulling, and generally working the glove hard in the pocket and at the breaks (folds). He also uses hot water during the process, but no steam.
Whether his method effects longevity is not clear. After all, he's breaking in the glove for a $10M+ player who probably gets all the gloves he wants for free, and could afford a new glove every inning anyway!
Nevertheless, Aso's basically replicating natural break-in, much the same a glove goes through just using it... balls pounding the pocket (mallet), constant movement at the breaks (with a little pounding to boot), along with the heat of a hand and sweat in it (hot water)... but no chemicals or steam that would soften those parts you don't want too soft.
BTW, I originally found this video on Wilson's own site (just look at any individual A2000 or A2K additional images for the pop-up), but the YouTube is easier to navigate to. |
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BROOKSTEAM
145 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2012 : 18:10:27
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Steaming will speed up the break in process but it shortens the life of the glove dramatically. I break in gloves and then sell them if anyone is interested. Please come to our store for gloves you get the best prices anywhere.
Thanks-Ronald
Elite Sports East Cobb
678-903-0024 |
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Topic |
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Glove Steaming
