Super Glove
 

Here's my initial review of the Alaska Bowhunting Supply Super Glove. Got it a few weeks ago, snooping around at the new Cabelas store over in Fort Worth.

First off, those cordovan finger tips are STIFF. Second, the stalls are made for fingers quite a bit fatter than mine. I could bend my fingertips inside the stalls without causing those cordovan tips to bend around the string at all. Drawing the bow to anchor, my fingertip would be looking for my anchor but the fingertip of the glove would be touching the middle of my lip! Makes it darn hard to find your anchor point.

I've been sitting in my comfy chair at nights, watching TV and working the cordovan between my fingers to soften it up a bit and doing all my warmup shooting with the glove. Had to use my old glove for any real accuracy though. The cordovan is finally starting to soften up, getting pliable enough to work right. I expect the cordovan tips to make this glove outlast the old deerskin gloves I've used for the past 20 years, many times over.

I really like the elastic wrist band. Very comfortable. The wristbands on many gloves barely go around my wrist, so it's nice to find one that actually fits.

Feel of the string is close to the same as with the deerskin type gloves, kinda cushioned, but the release is noticeably slicker. I know... Talking about a slick release with cordovan leather is kinda ate up with the DUH! factor.;) For someone who really likes to feel the string, the Damascus glove is still the winner.

The yellow color... Exactly the same color as the deerskin gloves. As a dedicated ground hunter, I'm not too wild about it and wish they had dyed it a darker tone. Some years back, I had problems with deer spooking when I went to draw on them and never could figure it out.. One evening I'd set up a ground blind in some bushes that a bunch of tweety birds decided to roost in. Every time I moved a finger with the deerskin glove I was wearing, those birds would go nuts. Switched to my dark brown Damascus glove and I could practically do jumping jacks without the birds taking notice.

So, I intend to get some brown leather dye and make this glove darker. Maybe splotch it up for a camo effect?

I'll let you know more after I've shot it some more. But, overall, I'd say the quality of the glove is top notch and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love it when I get it broke in.

RE: Super Glove
 

I too recently picked up one of those and my thoughts pretty much echoed yours. It is stiff and finding my anchor point has been my main problem. However, it is getting better with more use (and of course I'm getting more used to it) so I assume it will be fine by the time I go hunting in October / November. It is well made and comfortable. I took a furniture nick marker and sort of camouflaged it up a bit though.

RE: Super Glove
 

I've been using the Super Glove for the last several years, and I don't think I'll be using anything else. I hated mine at first--it was a lot different than the soft gloves I'd always used before--but once I got used to it and got it broken in, I love it. I've tried all sorts of different ones--even a couple of high-dollar custom gloves--and I like the SG best.

A couple of tips with the SG. Buying one through the mail is a shot in the dark. I always buy mine where I can try them on first, because even in the same size they can vary a lot--I guess it depends on who did the sewing. The last two I bought were a large and a X-large, and the only real difference is the length of the wrist strap. I've tired on Large gloves that were too big, and XL's that were too small. I buy mine so that I can just barely squeeze my fingers in the stalls when it's new--when it's broken in, it fits just right (they do stretch).

A shortcut to breaking them in: Montanna Pitch Blend. I figure any similar product will work--Sno Seal, etc. First thing I do is turn the glove inside-out (yeah, it's a pain--an arrow shaft, magic marker, etc. will help). While I have it like this, I check for any seams that are too big(and uncomfortable) and trim them. Then I saturate the inside with the protectant, turn it right-side-out, and saturate the outside. This will help soften it and it will break in quicker, along with protecting the glove--sweat and drying out will shorten the life of the leather if you don't protect it. The Cordovan seems to be bulletproof (with I could find a set of tires for my truck made from that stuff!), but the rest of the glove (deerskin?) will dry-rot.

I always keep at least two on-hand, broken in. If you loose one, you don't want to take a brand-new one hunting--they need to be broken in first. They take a little work, but in my opinion they are well worth it. They way outlast the soft gloves, and the Cordovan tips are super slick with any type serving allowing for a very good release. Great finger protection with heavier bows too.

I hadn't thought about the color before--the leather protectant will darken it some, but as Art said it's an easy fix with leather dye--could probably do it with a magic marker.

Chad

RE: Super Glove
 

Like Chad, I've been usingthe ABS Superglove for several years now & willlikely be using one (when shooting longbow) from here on out. Top notch quality & that cordovan is some great stuff! (Hard to believe where it comes from!):D

RE: Super Glove
 

Bought my first when I started shooting a heavier bow. Wouldn't use anything else now. But like Chad said it's a good idea to keep a spare around thats already broken in.

Jim

RE: Super Glove
 

It takes a while to break it in. I've used sno-seal (melted) on mine and it works well. You need to apply it after every shooting for about two weeks though. The color will darken considerably. It will also take a couple of days to get the stickyness of the sno-seal off. It is my favorite glove after it gets broken in though.

Oh, and I had to use a medium (very tight at first)and let it break in.

(Lately though, I've been liking my Black Widow super leather tab more and more)

RE: Super Glove
 

I just bought the Skookum, which I believe is the stepchild of the super glove, but made for lighter weight bows. It should be here tomorrow.... I'll let ya'll know how it works.

RE: Super Glove
 

I haven't uses Sno Seal on mine, just figured it would work. The Montanna Pitch Blend may be better--don't have to melt it, it's not sticky, and usually only put one coat on to get mine broken in--then re-treat when it looks dry.

Chad

RE: Super Glove
 

Could you use mink oil or neatsfoot ?

RE: Super Glove
 

I'd imagine any product used to treat/soften/protect leather would work.

Camo'd my three today with some ancient (as in dried up--had to mix some alchohol in with it) brownleather dye and a green Sharpie pen. Ain't real pretty, but I don't reckon the deer will care.

Chad

RE: Super Glove
 

You don't really have to melt the sno seal, but it's easier to apply when it is melted. You do have to use a heating source on the leather to really get it deep in though. I usually just use a flood light (or heat light). They recommend a hair dryer. It's really about the same consistancy as Montana Pitch. But forsome reason, when I used the Montana Pitch on my boots, I didn't think they water proofed them as well as the sno-seal.Sno-seal is most definetely sticky though compared to pitch, and it doesn't smell as good ;).

RE: Super Glove
 

I hear ya about the heat source, but I've got the answer to that. I slathered mink oil on and inside my glove and set it on the dashboard of my truck out in the sun yesterday, sitting inside a little foil pan of course. Left it all day. It got up to 103 here yesterday and the thermometer in my truck topped out at 184.

Those fingertips are quite a bit softer this morning.[:-]

RE: Super Glove
 

Gentlemen , we are in the presence of true genius .

RE: Super Glove
 

Redneck ingenuity at it's finest!

That is also a prime example of why you don't leave a bow in your truck in the summertime!

Chad

RE: Super Glove
 

I have been using the super glove for a few months now and love it - Once broken in (says on the package a few weeks) Doubt if I will ever use another glove - Love the feel of this one - I need to try the snow seal thing


Mike