Heritage Crafts

Glove making

The making of gloves, particularly in leather. For hand knitted woollen gloves, see the separate entry for knitting.

This craft uses products derived from animals – please read our ethical sourcing statement.
ENDANGERED
Status
Endangered
Craft category
Leather
Historic area of significance
Yeovil, Somerset
Area practiced currently
Gillingham, Dorset, Warminster, Somerset
Origin in the UK
1800s
Current No. of professionals (Main income)
Probably fewer than 10 cutting gloves and fewer than 50 individuals making gloves in total.
Current No. of professionals (Side income)
unknown
Current No. of trainees
unknown
Current total No. of serious amateur makers
unknown

History

n/a

Techniques

  • Hand sewing
  • Machine sewing – full pique, half pique, prixseam, inseam, brosser

Local forms

n/a

Sub-crafts

n/a

Issues affecting the viability

  • Ageing workforce
  • A lack of willing local apprentices prepared to train in glove making
  • Competition from low cost countries
  • A limited supply of local raw material suppliers
  • Limited local maintenance services for machinery

Support organisations

Training organisations

n/a

Craftspeople currently known

Other information

n/a

References

National Lottery Heritage Fund
Swire Charitable Trust
The Royal Mint
Pilgrim Trust
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
William Grant Foundation

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