A Zombie Glove case study
The glove was in fairly good condition. The leather had no tears or rips, but was quite hard and dried out. I thought I could save the original laces, but they fell apart immediately. That’s when I decided to restore the entire glove.
Liar. He played in the 40s, for the Red Sox, Phillies, and White Sox, with the following lifetime numbers: 268, 18HRs, and 230RBI. A very respectable Major League career.
I found this glove at a flea market on Cape Cod Massachusetts. It’s a 1950s Rawlings T90 Tony Lupien 1st Baseman’s glove. Raise your hand if you knew who Tony Lupien was?
Once the laces were removed, the inside of the glove was in excellent shape. I was able to salvage the finger loop, but the padding and finger inserts would need to be replaced.
Using the damaged pieces for a pattern, I cut new padding and plastic finger inserts.
I then clean the glove several times using various products. The leather begins to soften and get back to its original color.
Cleaning the glove also brings out the manufacturer's original stampings, including the Rawlings logo, and the player’s name.
When the glove has dried completely, I condition it thoroughly, careful not to saturate the leather.
Once I’m satisfied with the condition of the leather,
I begin to re-lace the glove.
Since the original laces for the trapeze section were missing, I need to research online for the correct pattern. Here is the finished glove, ready for the field or the display case.