Hestra Gloves

skitheWest.

skitheWest.

Active member
Looking at investing in a pair of new gloves and I hear that Hestra is the way to go. However, I'm stuck between Vertical Cut Freeride and the Seth Morrison pros. Does anyone know the difference in warmth, grip, and size between these two?
 
have had seths all season, warm as fuck, really good glove, just bought a pair of alpine pro ski cross ones, like the seth cept for warmer conditions - tighter fit, more hand function, love em both, the vertical cut doesnt have c zone whereas seths do. make sure u use the balm they come with, enjoy your new gloves :)
 
I've owned both gloves, Vertical Cut Freerides lasted me 7 years before I traded them for some Seth's. They are almost the same exact glove in my opinion, I traded because I wanted some hand gaiters and he wanted one size bigger. There are some different features between the two, but I honestly haven't noticed at all.

Excellent gloves though, well worth the price considering they'll last FOREVER.
 
notice a difference in warmth? which one do you think would be better for park? cause at this point I'm leaning more towards the vertical cut freeride
 
I have the 3 finger Seth's and they seem like one of those investment gloves that will probably last decades, especially if you put leather balm on once and a while to keep the leather fresh.
 
looks like im gunna order the vertical cut freeride's, but before I do, how do they compare to the seths? I just wanna make sure that the seth's aren't too hard to move around and grip my poles.
 
best gloves ive ever owned, don't think twice about buying them, just do it, you will not be disappointed
 
I've had VCFs for five years and they still look brand new. Super warm and durable. I would recommend them to anyone. I can't speak for Seths though
 
i looooooove the seths.

so awesome. great quality.

I know they are expensive, but they are worth every penny.
 
Hestra gloves are awesome! Put some leather food on them and break them in and they might be the best gloves I have ever rode with...

 
You should just get some Kinco 901s or HK94s. They are the poor mans Hestra. $11 and they are the warmest and most waterproof glove I have ever owned.
 
anyone know a store in the vancouver area where you can try them on? I wanna get the VCF's but everyone's saying great things about the Seths
 
bought ski cross gloves today.

oiled them and now they are a nice dark brown, cant wait to break them in.
 
da best. i had a pair of cloud nines that were great until they started to wear through in the thumb. i sent them in for warranty and they let me pick any glove i wanted... so i now have seths. they're rad.
 
Don't worry about warmth, both of them are fucking ovens. If its above 28 my hands are almost too hot. I do prefer the added dexterity of the vcfr though. Either way you go you will not be disappointed. This point in the season it may be difficult coming by them in a brick and mortar store though.
 
I have the Xtra Fit's which have no insulation and my hands still roast in weather above 30 degrees.

Either way, warm hands or cold, Hestra has you covered, and they are more than worth it.
 
Been through about 4 pairs of hestra gloves since I was 12 (27 now) all have been very good quality. Had other gloves, but nothing like hestra. Leather gets softer and better the more you use them, just remember to get some leather balm. Been using a pair of Sverre & Kai gloves for about 2 years now, they are a bit too warm for spring skiing however(lamb wool liners).

No doubt a high quality product.
 
copied from TGR:

Please, please, please understand that the Hestra Leather Balm's main purpose is to condition the leather which keeps it supple and prolongs the life of the leather. It may also add a bit more *repellancy*, but it does not EVER make them waterproof. If you need a waterproof glove, make sure you buy gloves that have a waterproof CZone or GoreTex insert. If your Hestra's have neither of these then please do not be mistaken: the leather balm's main function is to keep them supple. As long as the leather is not allowed to dry out or be exposed to heat sources, it should last much longer than your average leather glove, normal wear and tear like ski and snowboard edges excluded. Leather balm does not prevent ski edges from scratching the leather nor does it make your gloves indestructible. But it will darken them.

Please do not expose the leather to any type of heat. This is what degrades the leather in the first place. I've been learning a lot about the types of leather and where we source the leathers from and I still don't have all of the answers (been at Hestra just over 3 months now), but I hope to learn more after meeting the Magnusson family this November. They've been sourcing leathers from many of the same people for 4 generations now. I have a list of questions to ask regarding the leather but communication is slow right now as we are preparing for the new season worldwide; product is shipping soon. In any case, climate (where the animal was raised) is a major key to some of the more durable leathers that we use, like the Army Goat leather.

The army goat leather is pretreated (impregnated) from the get-go. This is the same leather that is used by the Swedish Army. While NONE of our leathers are waterproof, the army goat is proven to be the most effective at repellancy. The leather balm that comes with your gloves is to be used at the first signs of dryness. Do not wait until the leather gets stiff or starts to crack. Leather balm will need to be used more frequently in models that are made of cowhide, as this leather is less resistant to dryness and heat. The Vertical Cut Freeride, for example, comes in army goat as well as cowhide. Unfortunately communication in the past has not made this clear to many people. This season the Vertical Cut Freeride in black as well as grey colors are army goat leather. They will feel stiffer at first, which is why so many people end up buying the cowhide- that, and the cowhide takes dyes much better so the cool colors are all cow. Cow= not as durable as goat. I'm hoiping to incorporate more colors in the Army Leather moving forward, but that's another story...

I did receive an email back from the designer in Sweden, and she said exposing external sources of heat to your Hestra's is not recommended, even for short periods of time. Again, this goes back to the type of climate that the animal was raised in.

As an aside, I have found out the leather balm is sourced here in the US by a farmer, so that explains why sometimes it looks different than others. I feel confident saying to use Nikwax when necessary, but again, please do not put your Hestra's anywhere near heat sources when treating your gloves. Despite my own beliefs prior to working at Hestra, that warming them up allows the pores to open more, letting more treatment into the leather, etc...rubbing them back and forth with the balm applied causes a little friction, and that is all the leather needs for proper absorption of the balm. Keep it simple. And please keep your Hestra's away from heat.

Cheers,

J
 
i've been rockin the same pair of seths for about 4 years now and the stitching in one of the thumbs is just now starting to come undone. this was the first pair of gloves i've had that's lasted more than a season. they're definitely not the warmest gloves i've ever used, and the vertical cuts (my brother has them) are definitely warmer than the seths, but the seths are a bit lower profile and more maneuverable, in my opinion. if your hands tend to stay pretty warm, the seths are the way to go in my opinion.
 
Just bought some alpine pro-heli gloves. Most comfrotable, warmest glove I have ever used. By the end of the day the outter leather is damp but not soaked through. I feel with one more application of leather balm they will be really water repellant. Even as it is my hands are never wet or cold. Best purchase this year for sure!
 
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