When it comes to protective equipment, cut resistant work gloves are perhaps one of the most beneficial products that any worker can use during their tasks. These gloves ensure that a worker’s hands stay safe and protected from cuts, abrasions, and any other harmful or sharp objects, decreasing the risk for injury and increasing the efficiency of work. But not all cut resistant work gloves are created equal, which is a good thing as different people have different needs when it comes to their work gloves. Yet, there are people who believe in some myths regarding anti cut gloves and their features. Below are a few of them.
1. Cut Resistant means Cut Proof
A lot of people believe that wearing a pair of cut-resistant work gloves means you have an invincible amount of safety and protection, and you don’t need to take any more precautionary measures. This is not true. If you intend to keep your hands and your own self protected from long-term or life-threatening injuries, it’s always suggested to take the correct precautionary measures no matter the standard of cut-resistant gloves you’re wearing.
Cut resistant gloves may provide an added level of safety, but it’s still made of different textile material, meaning it’s very much penetrable and hence, not invincible. On this note, it will be a huge mistake to consider the cut resistant gloves to be cut proof gloves.
2. Cut-Resistance Reduces After Washing
Most people believe that after a few washes, the tendency of cut resistant gloves diminishes in terms of protection. When in fact, the truth is entirely different. When a glove is first manufactured, the material is in a more-or-less stretched, rigid state. After a few washes, it goes through a relaxation-shrinking process that results in making it denser and improving its mechanical properties.
Although, this may not be applicable in the case of weakly manufactured or cheap fibers. Moreover, the lifetime of cut-resistant gloves will reduce if used for years without proper care. Looking for a good pair of gloves to keep your hands protected while dealing with sharp material, bottle and glass handling, and floor installation? The cut level 5 gloves by ELC can aid you in the process.
3. Gloves that tolerate chemicals can tolerate anything
Yes, it is true that there are some forms of cut resistant gloves that prove to be strong when contacted by toxic chemicals, but it’s also good to remember and look into the chemicals any material of the glove becomes weak against. E.g. in the case of leather gloves, if the material comes in contact with acetone, not only does the glove’s outer layer get ruined, but the internal fibers connecting the glove together also become weaker and less protective.
Hence, for this reason, it’s important to know not just the chemicals that any material of gloves can tolerate but also the ones that can destroy it. If you’re looking for high-quality gloves to save you from toxic chemicals, you can look into the different gloves in the collection provided by ELC.
4. More Layers mean More Protection
One common misunderstanding that occurs is that people mistake a patch palm of leather gloves as an added layer of protection, thinking the illusion of layer is the toughest clothing material. But what actually happens during manufacturing is that the creator patches together two pieces of clothing, which then ends up acting as the palm.
While this is certainly a resourceful solution, it in no way acts as an added layer of protection. In truth, it’s an even more vulnerable fix as, if one piece of thread comes off, it weakens the entire fiber and threatens for it to tear away.
5. Only the Palm is Cut Resistant
Every high-quality glove manufacturer, like Elite-Leather Creations, designs their cut resistant material keeping in mind the safety of the entire hand instead of just the palm. Any good glove will be able to provide as much safety regarding the fingers, thumbs, and back of the hand as much as it is providing to the palm.
This isn’t entirely a myth, as some gloves do provide protection only to the palm because there are different levels of cut resistant gloves meant for different purposes. But this should be made clear by the manufacturer beforehand, and anyone purchasing the product should know the purpose for which they’re buying it to avoid any harm. To avoid this, you can gain knowledge of the different ANSI cut levels to figure out which kind of gloves provide which level of protection to choose the appropriate gloves for your work.
These are all the common myths that you should let go of when it comes to cut resistant work gloves. It’s important to keep in mind the purpose for which you’re purchasing any gloves.