I bought this Rawlings Sandlot Series glove for my 10 year old this year and it came pretty highly rated for its price point of $65



I've tried oiling it and working it and wrapping it up tight with a ball inside and also just flat under some heavy weights and he's not happy with it. They just started indoor practice for his league and I think a bunch more sessions of catch will help but I'm wondering if I screwed up and should have bought a better glove, ie: more money which my finance manager AKA wife is not thrilled about.

He had a youth Mizuno the last 2 years and it was great, it was a Power Close glove and almost seemed pre-broken in but they don't make them in the size he needs now (11.75")

The issue seems to be that it's very thick/padded right in the pocket area and it seems resistant to breaking in. It appears to be made of actual leather which a lot of youth gloves seem not to be, I've seen pigskin and even synthetic leather out there.

Are there any other things I can try? I noticed a warning on this glove that microwaving, placing in dryer or soaking in water would void the warranty.

Thanks!!!

Play catch. A lot of catch. A really lot of catch. A really, really lot of catch!

What I've done my son's gloves (and my gloves) is I'll make sure that I fold the pocket such that I get the thumb bent over *beyond* the pinky finger to get the crease to where when relaxed the thumb lines up with pinky. It hurts my eyes to see kids with these great gloves that have been incorrectly broken in with the thumb lining up with pointer finger when relaxed-yields very little usable pocket. I lightly oil the gloves, but don't overdo it as it adds weight (if it is not a water-based glove treatment).

I'll also sit with it while watching a show and bend it again and again and again along the line I want the crease to be.

I've never been a fan of dunking in water or microwaving or baking gloves. I will concede that using a weighted ball can help with breaking it in. I have no experience with the wooden "mallets" some seem to prefer for breaking in the gloves.

FWIW, I get the Rawlings Pro Preferred gloves for my son; they take a lot longer to break in but the gloves will probably last him for his whole youth career-they are truly examples of quality craftsmanship.

Nothing better than leather for a glove material.

Here ya go

glove breakin kit

I coached and played for 40 years and now collect made in USA baseball gloves.

This is how I break in a glove as per Tom Seaver's instructions from the 70s.

Soak the glove in warm water. 5 gal bucket is perfect. let it soak 10-15 minutes until completely soaked. Let water drain and then start working the leather, stretching out the pocket and working the hinge. Don't spend a lot of time but be thorough. Put a ball in the pocket and tie it firmly. Don't use a shoestring or thin rope as you'll imprint the leather. I use an old belt.

Put glove away for about 3 days. Glove should still be damp. Get a can of shaving cream with lanolin, I use cheap Barbasol. Work it into the leather well inside and out. Keep stretching your pocket and working the hinge. Be thorough and use plenty it will soak in. Replace the ball and let glove finish drying another couple days.

Hit it with another coat of shaving cream and you're good to go.

A few of my gloves



My glove from my playing days

Tony Gwynn was quoted as saying the way he broke in a glove was to use it everyday in practice for a whole season and then it might be ready for the next season's game play.

The better the glove leather, the longer it takes to break in properly. I would always put the glove under my mattress with the ball in the pocket.

This is an email I received a few days ago from an old teammate asking for advice on breaking in a new Mikkan glove.

Worked out great - I used it today and it was ready to go. It did take a while for it to completely dry out - and I might have been a little heavy on the shaving cream. There’s no way I could have used it the way it came from the factory - I could barely close it - now I got it all nice and loose and the pocket is already formed. I always store my gloves with a ball in them - and I’m going to start wearing a batting glove on my left hand in the mitt. I didn’t do that on my last glove and the insides wore out quicker than the outside. Tigers win today - 1 game out of first, trying to close strong. Very happy with my glove A 72yr old breaking in a new mitt - if that ain’t a sign of good luck I don’t know what is. I am alive. Sent from my iPhone

Obenauf's Heavy Duty Leather conditioner! Great for just about any leather product. Breaking in and preserving the leather! I've been using it for many years on work and hunting boots, leather coats, ball gloves, belts etc.!

There are all kinds of tricks you can try but nothing will beat just going out and playing catch with it.

I bought my granddaughter a similar glove last year, she was 11. She brought it over here just last week. It was very well broken in. I asked her what she did and she just laughed and said she just played baseball all last year..just like I told her to do.

Lots of good leather treatments out there.

I’ve got a lot of leather care products and use most of them. I don’t like the idea of the water treatment. I want to put moisture into the leather not take it out.

I’ve found this to work well on belts, leashes and slings … also recommended for baseball gloves.

Montana Sling Leather Treatment

https://www.montanagunslings.com/gun-slings.php

Get some of this and you can use it on your belts, slings , dog leashes, horse tack too.

Great husband and wife owned business.

The top row of three, the far left one was my glove. Glory Days.
I had that till I the threading around the pocket broke and w/o my knowing, my dad got it redone, including the inside leather that had contact w/ my hand.

I like your recipe for breaking in a glove. And the story from your friend.

quote:

Originally posted by doublesharp:
A few of my gloves

Do you have a Dick's Sporting Goods store nearby? They have a glove steamer for this purpose. Looks like it's free if you buy the glove from them but probably a small fee if you didn't.

JP

I did a bunch of coaching for 7-14 year olds. Your circumstances are not unique. Put it in the hottest water you can get and lightly soak it. You want the leather soaked but not really the padding inside. So soak both sides lightly. Then go straight outside and beat the shit out of it with a wooden mallet. When you think you’re done just keep going.

Also recommend putting pinky and ring finger in the pinky slot. It can really help younger kids close the glove. Good luck and have fun.

quote:

Originally posted by Timdogg6:

Also recommend putting pinky and ring finger in the pinky slot. It can really help younger kids close the glove.

As a grade school kid I had a three-finger glove, Stan Musial autograph model, that gave kids just that advantage. Broken in with neet's foot oil and a ball, a fantastic glove that was the envy of all the other kids. Of course, it got stolen.

I met Stan decades later and mentioned what a great glove it was. He said "I remember that, it was a piece of shit". He was way wrong, maybe for adults but no, Stan, a great glove.

There’s a reason why dunking and baking and wetting void warranties…just saying.

For 65 bucks it’s really not anything I’d worry about (I mean voiding the warranty). Try out a few things and see what works for you.

I broke in a couple of catchers mitts for my son by rubbing it with glove oil and pounding the palm and pocket area with a rubber mallet . It stretches the leather and mimics the action of playing catch , just quicker .

I fold them how I want and put them under the leg of our couch.

quote:

Originally posted by bdylan:
The better the glove leather, the longer it takes to break in properly. I would always put the glove under my mattress with the ball in the pocket.

Wow! flashback, I did the same thing ages ago.

FWIW: I understand the steamer box things are very popular. Dicks has them, I think "Free" when you buy a glove from them, I bet they offer the service for your situation

Nokona makes a nice glove oil (More like a gel that comes in a toothpaste looking tube)

Nokona makes glove paste. I could be wrong on the spelling. I used to use it when I coached and helped little leaguers. Yes a ball in the glove when not used and plenty of working the leather. Playball!! I miss those days. Enjoy