“BREAKING IN A NEW BASEBALL GLOVE / SOFTBALL GLOVE          

WITH LEATHERIQUE LEATHER REJUVENATOR”

 

The Spring Baseball season is upon us.  As with everything else, over the years many philosophies, myths, wives tales, tricks, and legends about breaking in a “stiff” new baseball glove or softball glove to get it ready for use as soon as possible have evolved. 

If you've done exhaustive research on the Net or from friends about baseball glove break ins, you’ve heard practices  rangeing from microwaving the baseball glove to soaking it in a bucket of water.  Numerous "oils" are sold to apply, even Vaseline has been recommended.  Some camps say to oil the whole glove and others say only the pocket.  Some players rub the glove  down with a shaving cream that contains lanolin; others say just use shaving cream on the pocket .  Then tie it up with a ball to form the pocket (no change here).  Finally, put it under the mattress and sleep on it a day or so.  All of this helps, but it still takes a long time to "pound it" with a ball to break it in

Even many professional baseball players, after years of trial and error, have not been able to shorten the break in period by too much.

After several seasons of trial and error, we’d like to recommend a way that is used by professional baseball players, and debunk some of the old myths.

The first issue to remember is that leather was once a living, breathing material and will respond best if you treat it as well as you treat your own skin.  With this knowledge in our minds, think about what happens when we soak in the tub too long.  Our skin becomes pruney and shrivels, so why would we want to soak an expensive baseball glove or catchers mitt in water?  It gets enough moisture from use.  Also because leather is a natural, porous material, the use of vaselines, petroleum distillates, mineral oils, lanolines are all detrimental to leather.  It clogs the leather’s pores, forces the fibers apart with the heavy oils, and increases deterioration of the glove.

We’ll share with you the top secret that many ball players use, that breaks in the glove quickly and effectively and helps the glove last.  First slather the new glove with a generous application of Rejuvenator Oil and massage it in well, then let it rest in a warm place, a sunny window will do fine.  Because the Rejuvenator is a leather specific protein collagen complex, it will naturally soften the fibers of the leather, just as it does for our skin, making the break in of the glove easier.  A bit of warmth will make the leather fibers relax, and absorb the Rejuvenator more quickly.

It will take 3-4 applications of the Rejuvenator combined with “pounding” of the glove to form the very important pocket.  The pounding of the pocket can be hastened by taking a soft ball and drilling a 1” hole about 1 ½ inches deep.  Dab in a bit of liquid nails and insert a 10 inch long, by 1” wide wooden dowel or broom stick.   Use this device to facilitate the necessary “pounding” to create the pocket.

To break in the average glove requires only a 16 oz bottle of Leather Rejuvenator.  The Rejuvenator can be used all season to wipe down the glove to keep it clean, plump, and soft.  As the glove becomes soaked with perspiration, and dirt, the plumper leather will by it’s own nature keep the dirt expelled, so you can just buff it with a soft cloth to extend it’s life.  This added bonus of extended baseball glove life is claim that non of the other wife’s tales can make.