The Glove, part 3

        Continuing with the discussion on shooting gloves per the Hill style and otherwise...

        So we've determined that a glove can be with an insert or not, stiff or not, depending on how it's constructed.  The case made for the insert-style glove is a good one, as Hill showed, along with his students.  The insert can help spread out the pressure caused by idiosyncrasies of the shooting fingers and the alignment of the first joint of the fingers.  The stiff glove tips can help prevent the fingers from curling around the string too much and due to that, will help make a more positive touch along the face as an anchor point is ingrained into repeatable action through practice.  But how does one go about making this all work for you?  Some people hate a glove, and are diehard shooting tab fans.  That's great if it works for them.  A tab is slower to use in the field...but that's a moot point if someone isn't shooting at game quickly and with little notice to get a shot off. Hill shot running rabbits and deer, charging hogs and flying birds...and rapid speed shooting of follow up shots require fast handling of arrows by the nock.  Rare is the longbow shooter in today's world implementing these tactics.  So the tab can work just fine.  However, if you ever want to get proficient at all the Hill-style hunting shots and open up more opportunities to shoot game, then you may want to try a glove and get it to fit you just right.

         How do we go about getting that Hill style glove to work just right?  After checking your finger alignment with the first joints, and if there are not adjustments to be made because you can grip the string with even pressure and a relaxed back-of-the-string-hand...great.  Then it's all about feel and control.  If you need some modifications to fit the glove to your fingers or hand, follow along.

       Most Hill style gloves made today are available from very few suppliers.  Of note, Howard Hill Archery's future of glove making is up in the air, but there is also E.W. Bateman, Neet, and Fairbow Netherlands making good gloves of various varieties.  Not all have inserts, but most all can accomodate adding the inserts.  Changing inserts is relatively easy.  If there's stitching holding the inside layer of leather, simply slice the thread at the rear of the stall, slide in a small awl or flat screwdriver between the insert and the leather to loosen the grip of whatever glue is used and pull out the insert.  Most inserts today are of a stiff plastic variety.  This is where the customizing can be done easily.  Old style gloves from back in the day used plastic from bottles or a stiff nylon.  Today we have access to thin plastic in lots of forms from bottles, jugs, or various containers, zip ties, banding material, or even thin leather or neoprene.  Anything will work that prevents the leather from developing a groove with the rolled forward edge.  At this time, it's good to mention that a bend in the fingerstall is what you want, that is a good thing.  The bend must be gradual and smooth...not steep.   If that happens with shooting, then the insert is breaking down and needs to be replaced.  To replace the insert, cut a piece of plastic to size and slide into the glove and test it by shooting it awhile.  If it is satisfactory, then the insert can be glued into place using Duco cement.  If there is stitching, it can be glued to keep from unraveling with a drop or two of super glue, or a couple of small stitches put in place.  I have shot gloves for years with inserts installed in this manner, easily replacing them as needed.  Through some trial and error over the years, I found that various thicknesses/strength of zip ties work well, as well as some banding material.  I keep an eye out for banding material as it shows up at my glass shop and cut some lengths that will last me for years of replacements.

       You can spend a lot of money on a new glove and then hate it because it's too stiff.  Well, it does need to be properly broken in before it goes into the junk drawer.  A Hill style glove tends to roll around on the fingers a little due to the design, so they need to be ordered a little snug.  If you're between sizes, order up one size and then tighten the stall by adding some extra little stitches along the top spine.  Mold the stall to the finger, and forcibly bend the stall at the point where the string will be gripped. This may be at the first joint, or it may be behind the joint.  Bend the stall using your other hand to help your string fingers bend the stalls and get a permanent bend in the inserts which will give a nice soft bend to the stall.  This will immediately give you more control of the string and because the insert is there, the leather won't crease or get the rolled forward edge which inhibits good shooting accuracy. The bend in the stall will also help hold the stall on the finger. Then just shoot the glove and get used to it.

      Or...after deciding you just don't want to go through that customizing to get a Hill glove to fit your fingers well, and you still want the smooth release of the stiff insert type glove, pick up an American Leathers Crossover.   The BigShot glove has a softer feel using a neoprene inserts and nylon overlays.  It's a great glove that allows a more curled-finger hold on the string. The Crossover uses a plastic insert usually, or a leather insert if asked for at time of order.   I personally need the stiff insert to work with my finger joints.  I credit Big Jim (of Big Jim's Bow Co.) in pushing me to make the Crossover.  I was asked by John Turner (recently deceased of American Leathers) to hand-make some gloves for Jim's extra large hands.  I made a prototype using the BigShot glove platform and used it myself to shoot a nice buck at long range that hunting season, so I made some more for Big Jim.  He declared it a success and the Crossover was born.  The beauty of the glove design (originally designed as a BigShot by James Schulz with great success) is that it holds the stalls tight on the fingers due to the glove back and wrist strap angles.  This allows the stalls to be a little more loose and comfy on the hand and fingers and the stalls won't twist around or need to be sewed tightly like on a Hill style glove.  There is more flexing of the stall over the knuckles so the fingers can be a little more bent for better control of the string with a relaxed hand.  If the glove stalls loosen over time, there is no need to stitch them tighter. A narrow "shim" of leather or other material can be glued inside the stall along the top edge where it goes over the knuckle, making it a tighter fit.  The stall inserts can be adjusted in the same manner as with a Hill glove by removing the original zip tie insert and replacing.  Or....the glove can be sent back to A.L. and new tips can be sewed on for a nominal fee.  I prefer to do my own modifications because I can try the inserts myself before gluing into place once I get the feel and performance I like.

     The following photos show some of my personal gloves.  Two handmade Hill versions (3 and 9 years old) and two custom Crossovers (6 and 8 years old) that I sent leather to A.L. to make the gloves from.  (cowhide instead of Buffalo for the glove body).  One Crossover has buffalo stalls which are extremely tough and long lasting, and the other has cowhide upholstery leather stalls so I can see how long they last in real shooting.  So far, I've got umpteen thousand shots on the upholstery leather stalls and they are super slick and holding up well. Will they hold up as long as Buffalo leather?  Time will tell but it's fun to test leather...so far, nothing I've tested lasts as long as buffalo except kangaroo leather. Kangaroo is too thin for my tastes although some shooters really like it.  I do this to test the leather available to the average guy to make his own gloves and/or shooting equipment.  The Hill style gloves I made using a different leather known as Vachetta which is durable, thin and gets really slick.  I sewed the stalls on using a stitching punch, needle and thread.  It's actually pretty simple.  

     You can see the soft bend in the stalls where they hold the string, similar in all the gloves because of the inserts I used.  This is not a crease and does not affect the release at all. This soft bend is what you want the glove stall to look like.

     So now I've got some wheels turning in your head to try out different gloves and see how good your release can be and how well the Hill style glove or the Crossover glove work for a fluid, smooth relaxed shot.  And you want to keep from spending lots of money.  The following instructions were originally printed by Harvey Overshiner in the old Longbow Digest.  They give the exact directions to build your own finger stalls.  Another great source is Steve Graf's latest book "The Long Fix" where he give super instructions on how to build a Hill style glove; strap, body, and stalls.  The book price is a great deal for what you will get out of it, whether it's shooting tips and advice or the glove making section...it's worth it. 

         In fact, related to my comments on the finger curling and relaxed hand position, Steve goes into detailed explanation how the hand position should look when we hold the string.  It's important, especially for someone learning to shoot.

        The instructions are a little hard to read, but the diagrams show the essence of the process.  Leather thickness is important, usually 3oz is the best for the stalls.  Buffalo, upholstery leather, Vachetta, cordovan or any slick finish leather is good.  Pigskin in about 1 1/2 - 2 oz is a great lining leather for the stalls.  I use the BuckleGuy (website online) to purchase the small amounts of leather needed for glove stalls and bodies, and for the threads and needles.  Another great option is purchasing a single layer glove from E.W. Bateman and adding your own inserts and liner.  The inserts and liner can be glued into place using contact cement or Duco cement, whatever you'd like.  Building or modifying your gloves can be a rewarding way to customize your own tackle.  That's what Hill did and a lot of the old timers as well.  They could customize their glove to suit their tastes, to fit their hand and fingers, and make the connection to the bow through their fingers be one of reliable consistency.  

      One thing to remember when using the Hill glove or any glove for that matter...get used to using Talcum powder on the stalls. Really work it into the leather.  Use it on a consistent basis and it will make the leather unbelievably slick and long lasting.  Real talcum powder with talc, is hard to find due to a U.S. Lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, but it is findable on Amazon and other outlets.  It's worth getting.

        The iconic Hill-style shooting glove. Loaded with history, simplicity and everyday durability.  There was a reason why it worked so well for Hill and his ardent students...and there's also a reason why a modern Bigshot and/or Crossover version which has such a large following of archers today works so well.  The insert in the fingerstalls is a real good idea for a slick release of the string off the fingers and once the glove is worn-in and becomes a part of your shooting tackle, it's hard to think of using anything else except an insert-style glove.  They will give you a great release and help you to...  

     Shoot Straight.