The Story Behind Our Buffalo Leather Gloves

The first pair of leather driving gloves emerged out of necessity in the 1890s, when driving was in its infancy. Operating an automobile in those days was a rough, gritty, hands on affair. The first race cars were in large part convertibles making weather conditions a common challenge for operators. These early vehicles did not include automatic steering, had wooden or metal steering wheels, required constant tire changes and only started by twisting a crank on the engine. Driving was rough, hands on, manual labor that required solid leather gloves. Over the last 130 years as vehicles evolved and became easier to drive, this “necessity” morphed into more of a fashion statement. The driving glove lost its utility through shinier, softer textiles and morphed into a cute pleasing accessory, unusable for anything harsh. Our glove reversed that trend by bringing American grit back to this timeless design. 

The Origins of the Buffalo Leather Glove

Living in Denver is unique because of our proximity to the mountains, as well as

our propensity for unpredictable weather. This is a place where it can snow in the morning and be 70 degrees that afternoon. It is a place where you might find yourself parallel parking in a city at noon then negotiating a rocky, dirt road, in four-wheel drive, at dusk. We have to be adaptable in our actions and our wardrobe, it’s an adventure. An adventure that requires innovative apparel. This led us to developing the Buffalo Leather Glove. 

Modeled after the timeless appearance of the 1920’s design, our concept re-introduces the original grit these gloves were born for. To achieve an exclusively rugged foundation, we chose to use full grain Buffalo leather as the base; Water Buffalo, not Bison. Full grain Buffalo hide is some of the, if not the, strongest leather available. The hides are not stretched or sanded to remove impurities; making them 3 times stronger than cow hide, more durable with a higher tear resistance. We figured, if the hide was strong enough to fend off lions, it was strong enough for our gloves. 

In addition to strength, we wanted the glove to embody a sort of classic, historical feel. Buffalo leather gave us that ability. Over a period of time, the initial stiffness breaks into a soft, molded feeling around your hand. They become shinier, darker and take on the look and feel of an old baseball mitt. We lined them with thin,100% cotton flannel, for unpredictable weather, added a brass button and sewed an extra piece of smart fabric to the finger, so you can answer your phone on a cold day.

These gloves brought American grit back to a timeless design; and like their predecessor, were born out of necessity. While our lives have undoubtedly become softer since the early days of driving, gloves remain a constant. Whether you’re riding a horse on the great plains, building a campfire in the Rocky Mountains, going to work in a big city, building a company or raising a family, gloves will always be part of who we are.

- Jeremy Dougherty 

What Our Customers Think

Our original glove design has seen tremendously feedback from our happy customers. Here are a few things they are saying about these buffalo leather gloves:

Really solid pair of gloves. I like the versatility of how you can wear them.

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These are exceptional for yard work or business casual. Crazy versatility and lined for comfort.

Grabbed these gloves for a hunting trip and couldn’t be more impressed. These gloves are incredible.

Love these! I use them when riding on my motorcycle and working in my shop.