In the ballpark, the game truly starts when the ball leaves the pitcher’s fingers. It is continued by the batters, who try their utmost to hit the ball as to make it uncatchable. It ends, inevitably–no matter whether by fielder, catcher, or even pitcher–in a glove.

Besides allowing its finality, the glove also gives the game its punctuation. Quick, uniform catches at the bases. Exhilarating, diving captures of long fly balls way in the outfield. Three outs. Switch. If the bat and ball are the butter, the glove is definitely, definitively, the bread.

So what makes a good glove? That is, a glove that performs reliably in any situation Comfort, so the glove fits the hand well, doesn’t overly hinder movement. Durability, so the glove lasts long, making play after play, season after season. So what makes a good glove? Good leather.

But these are givens. It goes without saying that a good glove should be comfortable and durable, and thus made from high quality leather. The leather is what touches the skin, defines how a glove feels on the hand, something many players consider the most important factor when it comes to performance.

However, good leather alone does not translate to high performance. To capture the complete performance envelope of a glove, it must also be judged on other analytical metrics. Weight, balance, webbing, flexibility, pocket formation and ball security are also important factors to be considered along with fit, comfort and durability.

So what makes a good glove? Good leather, and metrics generated through rigorous performance analysis. Check.

At Buckler, we offer a variety of customization services to better combine these two imperative aspects of glove making: leather working and ergonomic science. The operative word here being SCIENCE. It is our firm belief that science based knowhow and knowledge of the player’s theory of mind is crucial to achieving optimal performance. We make our gloves based on it, then test them until we know they feel good. Talking to players every step of the way. In-house, we like to call it “feel & tech”. Call it our philosophy. Our goal? To make good gloves. Simple, but more importantly, practical.

Good gloves are judged on position-specific utility, material quality, and price-to performance ratios, all results of the delicate but grueling process of glove making. We constantly strive to bring a science-based approach to the intricate art of glovecraft in order to present the best possible product to the end user: the player.

As our president and master glove builder Mr.Han likes to say: We hope the players, the true artisans of the game, appreciate our efforts.

The Buckler Team