[SamT]

Picked a pair of these up with the idea that they may be good for belaying in chilly conditions.

https://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Clothing-Footwear/Clothing-Accessories/Gloves-Mitts/Black-Diamond-Crag-Glove

Does anyone have experience and do they stretch/bag out at all. Bought both small and medium with a view to sending one back.

The smalls are pretty tight.. but if they give just a little bit they'll be absolutely perfect. The medium are a bit better but the fingers are a bit long and have about 5mm dead space in the ends which is a bit of a pain and makes things like handling krabs trickier than it should be.

Anyone any thoughts.

[SA Chris]

I got a pair in the BD sale, used them mostly for gardening so far, might use more in the cold. Might stretch a bit if you wear them wet, but don't feel like there is much give in them.

[edshakey]

Think this is the ones I have. Not noticed any stretch at all.

[Muenchener]

Picked a pair of these up with the idea that they may be good for belaying in chilly conditions.

https://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Clothing-Footwear/Clothing-Accessories/Gloves-Mitts/Black-Diamond-Crag-Glove

Does anyone have experience and do they stretch/bag out at all. Bought both small and medium with a view to sending one back.

The smalls are pretty tight.. but if they give just a little bit they'll be absolutely perfect. The medium are a bit better but the fingers are a bit long and have about 5mm dead space in the ends which is a bit of a pain and makes things like handling krabs trickier than it should be.

Anyone any thoughts.

I have the fingerless version, which I use mostly for skin protection on via ferrata, or alpine descents that involve a lot of rough scrambling and/or abseiling. And it just so happens I have an old knackered pair and a new barely used pair, so I have performed this exact test for you 

The old ones have certainly softened a lot and are much easier to get on & off my soft & sweaty hands in the heatwave we're currently having over here. Although that might also be a design change - the cutoffs on the fingers are longer on the new ones. Eyeballing it old & new look width wise about the same.

[SamT]

Thanks guys.. really hard to know if they'll stretch a bit.  I'll probably stick with the smalls and try and stretch them.

The meds are def too long in the fingers so will send them back.

[Nike Air]

Looks a good deal. Does it feel like if you cut the tips off they would fray much?

[Muenchener]

Looks a good deal. Does it feel like if you cut the tips off they would fray much?

My old fingerless ones just have unfinished cut ends on the (artificial) suede. They haven't frayed at all in several years of use. The suede goes round 3/4 of the finger, on top there's some elasticated fabric that's turned over & stitched. That would probably unravel if you just left an unfinished cut end.

[benpritch]

Looks a good deal. Does it feel like if you cut the tips off they would fray much?

https://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Clothing-Footwear/Clothing-Accessories/Gloves-Mitts/Black-Diamond-Crag-Half-Finger-Glove-2022-model

[Nike Air]

Super Ben. Just ordered a couple of them. Been searching coincidentally for a few days for a good deal on that make and model, somehow completely missed that.

Thanks
JB

[cheque]

Looks a good deal. Does it feel like if you cut the tips off they would fray much?

https://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Clothing-Footwear/Clothing-Accessories/Gloves-Mitts/Black-Diamond-Crag-Half-Finger-Glove-2022-model

If you’re after belay gloves to stop your hands getting manked up from dirty sport ropes and general belaying wear and tear (funny how they’re seen as all but essential in the States but almost no-one wears gloves for that purpose over here) then get this type- without fingertips.

For cold weather belaying all the outdoor brands that make gloves do actual proper warm gloves with leather palms that you can belay and tie knots while wearing (I guess they’re intended for winter climbing of some sort) that you can find reduced to a much more reasonable price in May/ June sort of time.

The belay gloves that have full fingers are a kind of useless middle ground- too sweaty for warm weather but not enough like real warm gloves for cold (keep in mind at this time of year we’ve forgotten what actual cold is like) weather.

[SA Chris]

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_GB/outlet/?sub_category=Climbing%20Gloves&page=1

Same gloves on sale on BD site, but more expensive??

[duncan]

The belay gloves that have full fingers are a kind of useless middle ground- too sweaty for warm weather but not enough like real warm gloves for cold (keep in mind at this time of year we’ve forgotten what actual cold is like) weather.

I suppose it depends on why you want belay gloves. If it's to keep your hands clean then anything full-fingered works. If it's to grip a slipping rope whilst belaying (presumably with a tube-style device) then leather gloves would be good. The better dexterity of half-finger gloves might be important to you especially if you're using double ropes. If it's to protect your hands from wear-and-tear whilst belaying and manoeuvring kit around the crag then half-finger gloves don't protect the most important bits IMO.

Riggers gloves are less sweaty than something tighter fitting, have adequate dexterity for single-rope belaying with a grigri (used by route setters and coaches at my usual wall) and cost £2. I wear them if I'm doing a lot of climbing on consecutive days when my fingers will be getting a beating. I tried fingerless gloves decades ago (they were de rigueur for big wall climbing) but they left me with cracked and raw tips even if my palms were clean and soft.

I also have a pair of the yellow fur lined leather 'alpine binmen' gloves. Not very dextrous at all but great on a cold day.

[SA Chris]

I also have a pair of the yellow fur lined leather 'alpine binmen' gloves. Not very dextrous at all but great on a cold day.

These were the goto when I worked as a liftie. Usually more duck tape on the "bumping" hand by the end of the season.