In 1985   -   a Bad Year as you already know   -   we introduced our Rocket Gloves. In 1990   -   arguably an Even Worse Year, with the Royal New Zealand Navy finally abolishing the daily rum ration and Tim Berners-Lee putting up the first web-server   -   we added the anatomical bones motif  to the Rocket Gloves to complement our Vanson Bone Suits and Jackets. We decided to call them X-RAY Gloves. You might not want to use them in a surgical procedure, but they are still pretty darn realistic.

Leaving aside for a moment the Bone motif, Vanson X-RAY Gloves are elegantly old-school, with a long, integrated, zippered cuff and a one-piece hand, meaning the top continues into the palm of the hand along the index-finger side, in one piece of leather. An extravagant construction   -   demanding large pieces of carefully prepared and matched leather for a perfect pair of gloves   -   but with the advantages of a greatly superior smooth round forefinger fit and a slim, fitted wrist.

We sew the palm-side finger seams on the inside, to protect the thread from abrasion in a crash, with the palm and thumb protected by an extra outer layer, as are the knuckles and lower joints of the fingers. Of course the white bones (of cowhide) will also, if need be, function (as they say at NASA) as a Supplementary (Ablative) Layer.

With this construction gloves are easily repairable. In fact we have rebuilt Vanson Gloves that are 30 years old...and are still going strong.

To build these gloves we start with 1.0, 1.1 mm leather that has been specifically tanned for stretch. This full-weight glove cowhide is a classic leather, similar to the glove leather used in the 50's and 60's   -   very tough, very strong, yet able to break in and acquire a "memory" for a perfect fit. The day before we cut the gloves the leather is nourished with a special mix of oils, lanolin, waxes and water. Then we roll up the leather and cover it with plastic to allow the moisture to evenly permeate the fibers. When we are ready to cut, the leather is unrolled and stretched on a special toggle frame where it stays until it "sets." Only then can we cut it, always palm-to-finger along the head-to-tail stretch set. Setting the stretch is imperative to allow the leather to give or "let out" across the knuckles when you make a fist. After sewing, the gloves are shaped on heated finger forms before the final waxing and buffing.

Because of the multiple layers of leather you will have to break these gloves in. Although you will stretch and shape them by wearing, we strongly suggest that later you moisturize with Vanson-Leather-Balm (AC-BALM) preceded by a little water while you work them with your hands to get the perfect fit. In this way your gloves will truly become a second skin/exoskeleton.

Once broken in you should care for these distinctive hand-built gloves by conditioning them in the same way several times a year, depending on how much you ride, to replace the nourishment leached out by wind and sunlight. With proper, regular care these gloves should last for many miles and many years.

Vanson X-RAY Gloves are available in both men's and women's sizes.