COVER THY (SELF)

APPAREL FAQ's

Why "water resistant" and not "waterproof"?

During the design process for some of the apparel we look at a lot of factors.  Quality performance metrics for protection, stitching, ergonomics and so on.  It would then stand to reason we would want the highest performance in terms of water penetration prevention, right? Not exactly? sometimes the extreme is not always the best.  We had to consider not only things like the obvious, such as comfort and sweat wicking, but the environmental and health impact was a huge factor. PTFE's are a common chemical used to repel water in many modern performance garments.  However, the use of these chemicals are now coming at a huge cost to our environment and hour health.  Given these reasons, we made sure to give everyone the best of both worlds, the best water resistence we can ingineer into these garments without the dangerous health consequences.

 

What’s the purpose of the Tactical component of the gloves?

One of our objectives with the overall design was to make the glove as form fitting and ergonomic as possible. This meant looking for some way to measure good dexterity and articulation in the fingers. The best way for us to do that was by referring to the Military Specifications guidelines. Mil Spec requirements not only specify flame resistance and knuckle protection but also full range of movement within the fingers. This is especially important in ballistics and breaching operations where very close and precise tolerances are crucial.   Coincidentally, in our mission to create the best motorcycle short-cuff gloves, we believe we’ve also created the best tactical gloves around!

 

Do you need Tactical gloves that are suitable for motorcycle use? Not really, it’s kind of overkill to be honest. Do you need Motorcycle gloves with added tactical use? Yes, in our opinion they benefit greatly from the added features, so absolutely! Our flame resistant liner greatly reduces heat friction during a slide and the augmented dexterity and compression in the finger panels decreases fatigue and improves handling of the controls during a long ride!

 

I've been wearing X brand gloves on the street and track. It's, in my opinion, the safest glove around. It features kangaroo leather, Superfabric on the palm and a very expensive Titanium and Carbon Fiber knuckle plate.

If every single accident only involved your knuckles or the top of your hand, you’d be pretty much covered. Most accidents however happen in the palm and finger region where abrasion resistance is the most important. All those nice sounding features make for great text on the side of the package but futuristic sounding technical jargon does not equal safety.   What they don't mention in their marketing points is how any of these super materials contribute to your protection. In fact they do not pass the abrasion/Impact requirements for them to be called "motorcycle gloves" which means you just bought something similar to everyday work gloves.

By contrast, when we here at Del Rosario outline specific technical features, we make sure to outline their function and how they personally affect your safety. We only use fact-based details that can be referenced to studies or tests, not confusing hyperbole.

 

But, but, but! My pair of X brand gloves DO have the CE mark on the label. Their catalog refers to EN 388 it also says “Level 1.” So, yes, I believe they're CE tested.

 Again, NO. Your gloves are indeed rated, but not as motorcycle gloves. PPE Level 1 does not require abrasion or impact resistance, and anyone can self certify, rendering it meaningless. EN388 is specifically a WORK glove standard, not intended for riding. There are CE ratings specific to many disciplines such as work, chemical-handling, gardening, etc.…there is ONLY ONE rating specific to motorcycle gloves. Thus, that $400 pair of race gloves you may have just bought is no more protective than that $20 pair of work gloves from your local hardware store. The fact that they're fooling everyone else buying gloves with vague certifications speak largely of the industry and clever marketing in general.

  

Why are you comparing the resistor gloves to full race gauntlets instead of other short cuffs?

Because of the shorter cuff and lightweight feel, our Resistor ® gloves are intended for street and or tactical use. We initially wanted to do a comparison with other similar short-cuff gloves. We needed to have some sort of starting point, some way to make sure our product was as good as we set out to make it. That however proved impossible. There currently aren’t any short cuff gloves that measure up to CE 2 standards anywhere. The only other glove in the market that complies with safety requirements is a winter full coverage model from Halvarssons “Safety Grip” model. This means that once we release our upcoming racing gauntlets, we would have to beat ourselves pretty much!

  

A certification sets a minimum standard for companies to aim for and to construct their product accordingly, but the dearth of tests out there are confusing and not uniform. It gives one the inclination that the lack of unity in this area means that whilst one company passes in this country could mean that it fails in another and vice versa. So which one of them is getting it right?

There really aren't any major significant ratings in terms of motorcycle gloves. Up until January 2013, there used to be a French standard (PPE level 1), but that was unified into the UK’s CE system (CE1/CE2). The old French standard is now referred to as CE 1. That level does not require abrasion/impact protection so we do not recommend it. CE 2 is what used to be the original "EN-13594.” The CE was forced by the EU to incorporate the two into one system to make everything less confusing. In our opinion it just made things worse. This means that now, every manufacturer that failed the tests before will now be labeling their gloves “CE 1” or "CE,” giving people the impression that it's CE 2 when they are clearly not.

On a racetrack, a 100ft slide is not at all uncommon. CE Standards only require just 12-15ft of abrasion resistance to get a passing grade. You’d think glove makers would at least meet this bare minimum but it’s just not the case. If you happen to fall during a high-speed race on the track, your bare hands will be exposed to hot asphalt in no time. Impact, Puncture and cut resistance are equally as important.

 

Is it safe?

This is a question we don’t generally answer in definite form. No two accidents or impacts are alike. Safety is an intangible concept. It’s like asking if cars are safe. What some may walk away from 99.9% of the time, may not work that unfortunate 0.1% of the time, but we do our best to ensure as high as success rate as possible, we’re riders too! There are an infinite amount of variables involved. Whether the question is about helmets or back protectors or gloves, it’s always the same answer; no two accidents are the same. Two people can be wearing the exact same gear and both will come out with two completely different outcomes. The only advice is to seek products that have a battery of independent tests to back them up; this is the only way to increase your chances of walking away from an accident event. The standards should be a starting point, a baseline to improve upon. If others can't even get to at least the bare minimum, what does that say about what they're selling you? The only right answer is always precaution.

 

Why aren't they made in the US?

Great question! As you've probably noticed, the economic and manufacturing landscape these past few decades has changed quite dramatically.We cannot make a claim to be a “Made in America” company; the percentage of American-made products has decreased considerably. Reasons to numerous to name are the cause of this, trade agreements, changing times and so on. People with the kind of skills needed in these specific trades are pretty much non-existent. When was the last time you met someone going to study to be a glove or a textile craftsman?  In this day and age, no one even thinks about sitting at a table sewing for a few hours a day.

A few years back, I took up woodworking, welding, sewing, 3d design and 3d printing.  During that time I realized how few people even bothered to learn the basics.  many of these skills should be necessary just in everyday life.  People these days barely know basic plumbing or car maintenance. Asking them to sew you a glove is entirely too much to ask. The U.S. textile industry, domestic high-quality sewing shops and much of the U.S. apparel manufacturing landscape simply no longer exists.  We have moved beyond that; this is something normally reserved for developing countries with a large population of poor but skilled workers willing to do an honest day's work.  The US is no longer insular, this is a world economy.  We aren't just selling in the US, we are selling all over Europe and many other countries, it just makes sense to make these products closer to where they are.

All that being said.  I personally visit and meet with all my craftsmen and women.  I want to see the care they put into quality.  A conflicted worker will result in a poor product. I want to look in their eyes and ask them if they like what they do.  I want to make sure they get paid what they believe they should be earning relative to where they live. I want to make sure they can put food on the table for their families without being exploited. Hope that clears it up a bit.

Search our store