Nitrile gloves with long cuff

01 · FEEL AND CLEANING

For what leather cannot do: pick up a queen, mark her, graft

Nitrile is thin and follows the hand, so you feel what you touch: this is the glove you can pick up a queen, mark her or graft in without taking it off. And being waterproof and smooth, it washes with soap and water — propolis and honey come off, instead of living inside the leather forever. Against a cowhide glove you lose durability, and that shows in the price: these get replaced more often.

02 · THE SIZE

The fingers run short: order a size up

It is the most repeated complaint, in Spanish and in French, and always the same one: the finger length falls short — some say by a whole knuckle. Palm width usually fits fine, so if you measure your hand and pick by width, the fingers will still pinch. The practical rule: go one size up from what you would take in an ordinary work glove. Sizes are 8, 9 and 10; between two, take the larger.

03 · HOW FAR IT PROTECTS

The gauntlet does more for you than the palm

Nitrile stops most stings on the palm and back of the hand, but it is thin and not sting proof: where a bee insists, she gets through. What really makes the difference is the long cotton gauntlet, which covers the forearm and overlaps the suit sleeve — because the stings that hurt most do not come through the palm, they come in at the wrist. Being waterproof, it also keeps your hand dry when you work with syrup or wash equipment.

04 · BEFORE YOU BUY

If you are doing heavy work — moving supers, scraping, carrying — a leather glove will last you far longer. These are for fine work and for when you want to wash your hands without taking the gloves off.