| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
O-fer
16 Posts |
 Posted - 08/09/2009 : 11:58:40
|
| To go along with the post on the best infield gloves I figured we should ask for the best ways to break in that new glove. |
|
|
baseballpapa
1520 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 22:18:27
|
| I would like to hear more about the machine in Alpharetta that uses steam to break in the glove. How much difference after the treatment, If you use the machine multiple times does this help break the glove in quicker. Could someone that has tried the machine be of help here. |
 |
|
|
beanball
222 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 09:52:57
|
| Nokona glove oil, 3-4 old baseballs depending on the size of the glove, one clothes line rope, & a rubber mallet. Oil the glove down real good, including the laces. one ball in the webbing, one in the fingers ond one in the palm and a fourth on top of them Tie the glove up real good. Then at least once a day poound the pocket with a rubber mallet for about 20 minutes. Repeat for about a week including the oil. You'll be good to go. Forget about the steam machines or microwaves. Just do the work. |
Edited by - beanball on 08/10/2009 09:57:45 |
|
|
|
Topscout
59 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 12:04:15
|
| My son purchased a glove at S&S in Alpharetta and had the glove broken in by the steam machine. The glove was ready to use immediately - in my opinion much quicker than I was used to. |
|
|
|
diamonddad
59 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2009 : 12:41:57
|
Nokona glove oil is great for breaking in a new glove. I have found, however, that with repeated use it does tend to add considerable weight to the glove. This is not such a big deal for catcher's or outfielder's gloves, but it can have adverse effects on a pitcher's glove. A heavy glove tends to keep younger pitchers off balance and causes them to fall to the glove side. As a result, we recently switched to the Mizuno Strong Oil Glove Conditioner. It comes is a paste form and doesn't appear to add any noticeable weight.
As far as the steamer at S & S Team Sports goes...I highly recommend it for a new glove. Basically, after steaming it they apply a liquid mixture of the previously mentioned Mizuno Strong Oil and then proceed to pound the glove with a wooden mallet. It will still require the normal braking in process, but it will reduce the amount of time. Multiple applications will also significantly reduce the amount of time. I did it twice to my Akadema catcher's mitt as it would have taken the better part of a season to break in. Doing it this way it took about a third of the time.
According to Mizuno the steaming process is completely safe and in no way harms the leather. Heating it in the oven or microwave will break down the leather, thus reducing the life of the glove. Hope this helps! |
|
|
|
ronicard
117 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2009 : 10:36:13
|
quote:
Originally posted by baseballpapa
I would like to hear more about the machine in Alpharetta that uses steam to break in the glove. How much difference after the treatment, If you use the machine multiple times does this help break the glove in quicker. Could someone that has tried the machine be of help here.
baseballpapa,
The machine you're speaking of is located at S&S Team Sports in Alpharetta. My team was sponsored by Russell Athletics last year and got hooked up with S&S through Russell to do the decorations on our uniforms. Long story short, the machine is a huge box that is up on top of the check-out counter and is manufactured by Mizuno. It is basically large enough to hold 2 or possibly 3 gloves at a time. They put the glove (or mitt) into the steam box and steam it for 6 - 7 minutes. Afterwards, they take it out and use a wooden mallet and a rubber drum-head looking thing that sits on top of a ball bucket to beat on the edges of the glove to break in the "spine" of it around the hands while it is soft. Then, they open the glove up and use the wooden mallet (it's a rounded club looking thing) to form the pocket correctly. After doing that beating process for 2 - 3 minutes, they put it back in the steamer for 3 - 4 more minutes. Finally, they remove the glove and beat on it again.
We used it to break in a catcher's mitt, a first baseman's mitt, and 3 gloves this year. Another friend of mine also drove over to have his son's new glove broken in. It won't completely break the glove in flawlessly in one time, but the 1st baseman's mitt worked so well that the player was able to use it in a game that afternoon after we purchased the glove and broke it in that morning. |
|
|
|
Reggie
70 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2009 : 15:47:10
|
| That sounds pretty cool, how long before you coudl use the catchers mitt. |
|
|
|
BROOKSTEAM
145 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2009 : 17:44:27
|
These machines that you speak will void most manufacturers warranties. I would caution against anyone from using the machine or the glove heating systems. As mentioned above the best is just use, sweat etc. The Nokona glove gel is good but should be used very lightly not heavy. It can be used on the hand inside the glove because it does not weigh the glove down. Other leather conditioners are good like the Wilson product.
**Never oil a glove, oil makes leather heavy**
I would recommend keeping the glove flat like a pancake when not being used in the beginning since natural hand movement is for the thumb to hit the ring finger when closing and putting balls in the glove in the beginning can make the pocket close to the middle finger or too small. |
|
|
|
ronicard
117 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2009 : 21:28:25
|
quote:
Originally posted by ESEC2100
These machines that you speak will void most manufacturers warranties. I would caution against anyone from using the machine or the glove heating systems. As mentioned above the best is just use, sweat etc. The Nokona glove gel is good but should be used very lightly not heavy. It can be used on the hand inside the glove because it does not weigh the glove down. Other leather conditioners are good like the Wilson product.
**Never oil a glove, oil makes leather heavy**
I would recommend keeping the glove flat like a pancake when not being used in the beginning since natural hand movement is for the thumb to hit the ring finger when closing and putting balls in the glove in the beginning can make the pocket close to the middle finger or too small.
Not Mizuno's. I spoke with the Mizuno rep personally. This was one of the first of the Mizuno machines in the US, but they have since brought in several and intend to have at least one in every major "baseball" city within the next few years, according to the rep. If you buy the Mizuno glove at S&S, they don't charge you for breaking it in with the machine. They do that at the insistence of Mizuno. They put the machine in there to encourage you to buy the Mizuno glove. And they do put some of the Mizuno glove conditioner stuff on it.
Reggie -- we used the mitt that very day as well. The catcher wasn't really comfortable with it because it was still slightly stiff, so he continued to use it in practice for the next 2 weeks and it was fully broken in within 2 weeks. |
|
|
|
beanball
222 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2009 : 22:23:37
|
If you're not using Rawlings or Wilson gloves you're not a serious ball player.
JMO |
|
|
|
diamonddad
59 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2009 : 07:01:00
|
| I ended up getting it steamed twice during the break-in period last season. Once in the beginning and another time about 2-4 weeks later. My glove wasn't a Mizuno so I can speak as to whether or not it would void the warranty, but the team up at S & S said nothing about it voiding the warranty when I purchased the glove so I assumed it was safe. Might be worth checking out. I'll ask when I stop by this afternoon. |
|
|
|
bkball
173 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2009 : 18:07:56
|
ESEC2100
Knows what he is talking about, ring finger to thumb especially on a backhand. |
|
|
|
BROOKSTEAM
145 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2009 : 21:47:57
|
I should clarify my use of the word "most". Several of the glove mfrs that we carry, Louisville, Worth, Wilson, Nokona, Easton have warranty information for their high end gloves that indicate heating the glove will void the warranty.
Ronicard= Can you tell me who the Mizuno Rep you spoke to was about this? My Mizuno rep was a pro ball player and I am sure that he would never have heated (steam or oven) his glove.
Beanball= MLB players use more than a dozen different brands of gloves. Rawlings is the most popular brand but you can also buy Rawlings in Kmart and Walmart. Please check out Nokona when you can, really well made gloves and wood bats. |
|
|
|
ronicard
117 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2009 : 08:07:26
|
quote:
Originally posted by ESEC2100
I should clarify my use of the word "most". Several of the glove mfrs that we carry, Louisville, Worth, Wilson, Nokona, Easton have warranty information for their high end gloves that indicate heating the glove will void the warranty.
Ronicard= Can you tell me who the Mizuno Rep you spoke to was about this? My Mizuno rep was a pro ball player and I am sure that he would never have heated (steam or oven) his glove.
Beanball= MLB players use more than a dozen different brands of gloves. Rawlings is the most popular brand but you can also buy Rawlings in Kmart and Walmart. Please check out Nokona when you can, really well made gloves and wood bats.
ESEC2100,
I have no idea what the rep's name was. S&S sponsored a big outing on one Saturday morning and had Jeff Francouer out there to sign autographs. We came to pick up some of the uniform stuff that S&S had ready for us and, while there, I purchased some Mizuno cleats for my son because they had everything from Mizuno 25% off. While we were there, I was watching the Mizuno rep demonstrate the machine and I asked him if that was really good for the glove. That started the whole discussion of glove warranties, etc.
One interesting thing to note on this steamer is that the glove doesn't really get all that hot. It's getting more hot steam than it is direct heat. Even when they pull it directly out of the steamer, it's more wet-like (not really soaked at all, just damp and flimsy) than it is hot. The guys that pull it out to work the glove on the drum didn't have to use gloves or anything or put the glove down and let it cool. |
Edited by - ronicard on 08/20/2009 08:41:36 |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Breaking It In
