I just got a new Nokona Amg650-ow. I really like it, the leather is really thick. But it says not to use any softening products that use heat. Anybody got any good tips to break it in besides playing catch?
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Put a light coat of vaseline on the glove. Place a softball in the pocket. Wrap heavy duty rubber bands around the glove, being sure that the glove is held by the rubber bands in the proper closed position. Seal the glove in a plastic bag.
If it were warmer weather, you could put the glove on the dash of a car for a few days. Being winter, you might try putting it under a heat lamp of some type.
Other than that, lots and lots of catch. I doubt it will be ready for the spring season. Maybe summer. They take a long time to break in.
If it were warmer weather, you could put the glove on the dash of a car for a few days. Being winter, you might try putting it under a heat lamp of some type.
Other than that, lots and lots of catch. I doubt it will be ready for the spring season. Maybe summer. They take a long time to break in.
Nokona makes a very good product that is realitively "clean". It is vasoline-like and will darken a light glove slightly.
The best way in my opinion to break in a glove, is to simply throw with it. That way you get the pocket you want.
My .02$
My .02$
Vaseline is a terrible idea, especially for a higher-end glove. It is a petroleum-based product and will clog the pores and degrade the leather.
What you need is a leather conditioner.
I use Wilson Pro-Stock glove conditioner with lanolin (a natural oil). However, anything with lanolin in it (e.g. shaving cream) will work.
What you need is a leather conditioner.
I use Wilson Pro-Stock glove conditioner with lanolin (a natural oil). However, anything with lanolin in it (e.g. shaving cream) will work.
Before you do anything, other than catch with your glove, let Gloveman (a regular on this board) give you the correct answer!
Funny story on this topic. I heard Robby Thompson, former Giant 2nd baseman, say he dropped his glove in water for about 5 seconds, let it dry and it would be completely broken in. Tried it for my son and it worked. Told a friend who just bought his son a brand new $250 catcher's glove about this. Glove was stiff as a board and unusable even after about 2 weeks of using it.
Get back on weekend morning from a run and his voicemail says he just put the glove in the water and "how long did you say to leave it?" My run was an hour. I called immediately to find out...the glove was still in the water.
It now weighs about 100lbs. I drive to his house to find the Dad in the street...driving his car back and forth over the glove trying to press all the water out of it.
About that time, we get a huge sudden, massive thunderstorm. With the wet street, the dad drives over the glove one more time, the wheels spin and shoot the glove directly out the back...into a massive puddle. 
Long story short, this is not the way to break in a glove.
Get back on weekend morning from a run and his voicemail says he just put the glove in the water and "how long did you say to leave it?" My run was an hour. I called immediately to find out...the glove was still in the water.
It now weighs about 100lbs. I drive to his house to find the Dad in the street...driving his car back and forth over the glove trying to press all the water out of it.
About that time, we get a huge sudden, massive thunderstorm. With the wet street, the dad drives over the glove one more time, the wheels spin and shoot the glove directly out the back...into a massive puddle. Long story short, this is not the way to break in a glove.
quote:Originally posted by Coach Chris:
Vaseline is a terrible idea, especially for a higher-end glove. It is a petroleum-based product and will clog the pores and degrade the leather.
My experience says otherwise, with gloves that have seen extremely heavy use. And that is what Nokona sells to use on their gloves. I think they would know what is best to use on their gloves.
The key is a thin layer.
Lanonlin breaks down the leather fibers. If too much is used, it will cause the glove to break down prematurely.
This is the method we use...for new and old gloves that need to be conditioned or broken in.
Soak the glove in water with a wet towel, do not dip the glove, until the leather feels wet to the touch.
Place a BB inside the pocket and wrap several large rubber bands around it.
Place the glove in the freezer for at least two days.
After two days let the glove thaw and use a light weight oil, lineseed or mineral to rub the glove using small amounts and circular motion, leave no spot undone.
Work the glove until very soft and pliable.
Place a BB inside the glove and wrap it with large rubber bands.
Let the glove sit for 48 hours.
The glove should be done...soft with a natural pocket and look brand new.
Soak the glove in water with a wet towel, do not dip the glove, until the leather feels wet to the touch.
Place a BB inside the pocket and wrap several large rubber bands around it.
Place the glove in the freezer for at least two days.
After two days let the glove thaw and use a light weight oil, lineseed or mineral to rub the glove using small amounts and circular motion, leave no spot undone.
Work the glove until very soft and pliable.
Place a BB inside the glove and wrap it with large rubber bands.
Let the glove sit for 48 hours.
The glove should be done...soft with a natural pocket and look brand new.
rhbaseball, from the Nokona website:
Treatment and Care
For Your Baseball Gloves & Mitts
Many types of treatments and care have been suggested over the years for baseball and softball gloves. Some of these are safe and some, unfortunately, may damage glove leather.
Our company has for decades used and recommended that one of the best and safest leather cleaners and conditioners is untreated petroleum jelly. Professional glove repairmen and leather specialists agree that this is one of the best applications, both for cleaning and conditioning glove leather.
Our recommendation for the use of petroleum jelly is simple. During the break-in period, treat your new glove with a light application, working it into the leather. This will reduce the stiffness of the new leather and facilitate a faster and more comfortable break-in procedure. Also, at the end of the season, take a generous amount of petroleum jelly and thoroughly cover the outside and inside of the glove. Don’t ignore the laces or hard-to-get-to areas, both inside and outside the glove. Then take a clean rag and wipe off excess to remove grit and grime. This will also remove and help neutralize much of the salt and acid buildup inside the glove caused by perspiration, a chief problem to the leather lining, usually made of softer leather.
Nokona glove care
Treatment and Care
For Your Baseball Gloves & Mitts
Many types of treatments and care have been suggested over the years for baseball and softball gloves. Some of these are safe and some, unfortunately, may damage glove leather.
Our company has for decades used and recommended that one of the best and safest leather cleaners and conditioners is untreated petroleum jelly. Professional glove repairmen and leather specialists agree that this is one of the best applications, both for cleaning and conditioning glove leather.
Our recommendation for the use of petroleum jelly is simple. During the break-in period, treat your new glove with a light application, working it into the leather. This will reduce the stiffness of the new leather and facilitate a faster and more comfortable break-in procedure. Also, at the end of the season, take a generous amount of petroleum jelly and thoroughly cover the outside and inside of the glove. Don’t ignore the laces or hard-to-get-to areas, both inside and outside the glove. Then take a clean rag and wipe off excess to remove grit and grime. This will also remove and help neutralize much of the salt and acid buildup inside the glove caused by perspiration, a chief problem to the leather lining, usually made of softer leather.
Nokona glove care
Yeah, the glove came with a little article about petroleum jelly being the best to use.
How to break in a glove . . . from glove repair.com
There are many methods to breaking your glove and everyone has their own opinion. The following ideas come from our craftsmen's personal experiences and what tends to work for them. There really isn't an overnight solution to breaking your glove, we will show you some of the do's and don'ts to breaking in your new glove.
First we will give you a step by step process to the best way we believe, to breaking in your new glove.
Rub in glove oil or glove conditioner of your choice, we prefer to use Rawlings Glovolium. Start with the palm of the glove and work outward from there, be sure to cover the entire glove (DO NOT SATURATE, JUST COAT IT). Some people like to use shaving cream in this step which is fine.
When glove has dried, play catch with someone, the more catching you do the better the glove will form to your hand and fingers.
When you are finished playing catch, apply a light coat of oil or conditioner. Then put a baseball or softball in the pocket of the glove (We prefer using a softball to increase the size of the pocket). Then close the glove around the ball. Using a string or rubber band to tie the glove tightly with the ball in place. Repeat this step whenever you are not using the glove until the glove is broke in the way you want it, this will help hold the shape of your pocket.
Repeat steps 2 and 3, until the glove is broke in. The more you use your new glove the faster the glove will break in.
Notes: Try to keep a ball in your glove when it is not being used to prevent the glove from getting flat and losing its shape. Condition or oil your glove a couple times a year, maybe more depending on how dry and dirty your glove is.
Glove Repair Don'ts:
Do not submerge your glove under water, some believe this is a quick solution to breaking in you glove. All you are doing is ruining the leather and run a risk of cracking and drying out your glove.
Do not put your glove in the oven or microwave.
Do not dry your glove using a heat source such as a hair dryer.
Do not buy a pre-broken in glove, they are not as durable and will not last as long.
Glove Repair Do's:
Keep a ball in your glove when it is not being used.
Condition your glove occasionally to prevent drying and cracking.
To protect the inside of your glove you can wear a batting glove to keep sweat from drying and cracking the leather.
Tighten your laces routinely, occasionally leather will loosen.
There are many methods to breaking your glove and everyone has their own opinion. The following ideas come from our craftsmen's personal experiences and what tends to work for them. There really isn't an overnight solution to breaking your glove, we will show you some of the do's and don'ts to breaking in your new glove.
First we will give you a step by step process to the best way we believe, to breaking in your new glove.
Rub in glove oil or glove conditioner of your choice, we prefer to use Rawlings Glovolium. Start with the palm of the glove and work outward from there, be sure to cover the entire glove (DO NOT SATURATE, JUST COAT IT). Some people like to use shaving cream in this step which is fine.
When glove has dried, play catch with someone, the more catching you do the better the glove will form to your hand and fingers.
When you are finished playing catch, apply a light coat of oil or conditioner. Then put a baseball or softball in the pocket of the glove (We prefer using a softball to increase the size of the pocket). Then close the glove around the ball. Using a string or rubber band to tie the glove tightly with the ball in place. Repeat this step whenever you are not using the glove until the glove is broke in the way you want it, this will help hold the shape of your pocket.
Repeat steps 2 and 3, until the glove is broke in. The more you use your new glove the faster the glove will break in.
Notes: Try to keep a ball in your glove when it is not being used to prevent the glove from getting flat and losing its shape. Condition or oil your glove a couple times a year, maybe more depending on how dry and dirty your glove is.
Glove Repair Don'ts:
Do not submerge your glove under water, some believe this is a quick solution to breaking in you glove. All you are doing is ruining the leather and run a risk of cracking and drying out your glove.
Do not put your glove in the oven or microwave.
Do not dry your glove using a heat source such as a hair dryer.
Do not buy a pre-broken in glove, they are not as durable and will not last as long.
Glove Repair Do's:
Keep a ball in your glove when it is not being used.
Condition your glove occasionally to prevent drying and cracking.
To protect the inside of your glove you can wear a batting glove to keep sweat from drying and cracking the leather.
Tighten your laces routinely, occasionally leather will loosen.
The pocket is pretty big on this glove and was wondering if I should use a baseball or softball when I wrap in in rubber bands.
I would recommend a softball.
A major consideration of the break-in process is how big a pocket do you want? If you are a middle infielder you may not want a huge pocket or really soft glove as they may slow your transfers on double plays etc.
My son took his catcher's glove to a glove repair shop where it was stored with a softball in it. He no longer uses the glove because the pocket is too big. i.e. the ball has more space to "hide" in during the transfer process.
My son took his catcher's glove to a glove repair shop where it was stored with a softball in it. He no longer uses the glove because the pocket is too big. i.e. the ball has more space to "hide" in during the transfer process.
If the glove is a MIF glove with curved fingers, the softball is the perfect diameter to keep the curvature of the fingers. Putting a baseball in a glove like this & then putting on the rubberbands will ruin the curvature of the fingers.
I would agree that on a catchers mitt {although the glove to which the poster is referring is not a catchers mitt} a softball in the pocket would not be appropriate.
I would agree that on a catchers mitt {although the glove to which the poster is referring is not a catchers mitt} a softball in the pocket would not be appropriate.
Here is our method. It is low-tech but it really WORKS. 1) Work shaving cream into the glove with a rag, touching all surfaces. 2) Get a stick (preferably a dowel so you don't get blisters or tear the glove) and BEAT the glove (all over) hundreds of times each night for 10 days. The beating simulates the impact of the baseball, and the shaving cream leaves the glove soft and supple. And yes, put a couple of baseballs into the glove and tie it up in a fashion that "folds in" the pocket. One more thing. Teach your player to NEVER lay the glove down like most kids. Even on the bench, open the glove and place it pocket down so it never develops an unnatural crease.
We accidentally left a new glove outside in the rain for a day or two. After air-drying, glove was nicely broken in. This was a $50 kids model.
I'm not advising it, but the people who suggest using water, aren't crazy.
I'm not advising it, but the people who suggest using water, aren't crazy.
The advice from this site has served my son well for quite a few years (along with her product, Glove Stuff):
"Sandal Lady" Site
"Sandal Lady" Site
Besides the breakin ... the other issue I had with my son's glove was how to help it keep its shape longer and deal with moisture issues caused by the grueling year-round schedule of HS, Club, Scout, tryouts, camps, etc.
We tried storing his glove with a couple baseballs in it while it's in his bag, but he carries three gloves (1B, Infield, and a backup) ... bag is already heavy enough, the heavy baseballs fall out easily if the glove isn't tied up with something, and a baseball being a dense object doesn't help with air circulation ... so you end up with spots that dry out and others that stay damp with sweat. While I was at the local sporting goods store buying more wiffle balls for hitting, I saw a bag of softball sized wiffles. These worked very well ... allows good air circulation in the palm of the glove after a day's heavy use, are light weight, and because of their size and lack of weight they tend to hold the glove in a nice shape and don't fall out while he's totting his bag around ... i.e., he doesn't need hassle with wrapping the gloves or anything, meaning he'll actually use them.
We tried storing his glove with a couple baseballs in it while it's in his bag, but he carries three gloves (1B, Infield, and a backup) ... bag is already heavy enough, the heavy baseballs fall out easily if the glove isn't tied up with something, and a baseball being a dense object doesn't help with air circulation ... so you end up with spots that dry out and others that stay damp with sweat. While I was at the local sporting goods store buying more wiffle balls for hitting, I saw a bag of softball sized wiffles. These worked very well ... allows good air circulation in the palm of the glove after a day's heavy use, are light weight, and because of their size and lack of weight they tend to hold the glove in a nice shape and don't fall out while he's totting his bag around ... i.e., he doesn't need hassle with wrapping the gloves or anything, meaning he'll actually use them.