Cold Weather Gloves

It may seem too close to Spring to talk about cold weather, but it snowed in West Texas yesterday and temperatures dipped to the mid 20's. Certainly balmy weather for Montanans but cold for the Southwest desert. And, also likely debilitating for people with previous cold injuries or arthritis which makes doing chores and riding in cold weather sometimes a  painful deal.

I have had frostbite on my hands and feet in my teens and for the past 50 years have struggled in cold weather. Add the onset of arthritis from hand and finger injuries over the years and I have motivation for finding good cold weather gloves and still give  the dexterity allowing handling tools, saddling horses and other routine chores.

Recently I stumbled upon Bear Knuckles Gloves, an Idaho based company that makes a variety of high quality leather gloves, lined and unlined, and even roughstock gloves and roping gloves.

I ordered a pair of the Thin, Fleece Lined, Water Resistant Cowhide Driver Gloves for less than $30. These gloves are the best lined gloves I have found, ever.  These gloves have gussets in the fingers that make bending your fingers and grabbing rope or straps much easier than conventional gloves.  I can ride in my mecate reins with these gloves.  I prefer thinner glove for riding, but I prefer feeling my hands more.  And they are water resistant. After getting them wet busting ice in stock tanks, my hands stayed dry. Leather tends to get stiff after getting wet, so I just applied a thin coat of saddle butter to them and they were good to go.

Maybe you are looking for a pair too.