Care & Maintenance

How to Repair Leather Gloves

How to Repair Leather Gloves

When you’re digging through and spreading the compost in your garden, cutting plywood to build your own bookshelf, or hunting in a field in the dead of winter, you probably have a trusty pair of leather gloves to protect your skin from the elements. Gloves also help you secure a strong grip on whatever tool you’re working with. But as hard as you work and as much as you use them, it’s only a matter of time before they show their age—getting rips, tears, and holes that can compromise the fabric.

Before you toss those gloves out, however, try your hand at repairing them yourself. A DIY repair using a heavy-duty sewing kit and a waterproof sealant like Seam Grip WP, will extend the life of your outdoor leather gloves in just a few minutes. These tools help you complete a high-quality and durable repair that’s permanent and waterproof—because you need your gloves to perform under all sorts of conditions.

Want to learn how to patch your work or snow gloves quickly? Here’s a short guide on how to fix your leather gloves for good.

Leather Glove Repair: A Step-by-Step Guide

What You Need Banner

Estimated Repair Time: 20 minutes to sew; 8-12 hours to cure.

Here are the steps you need to take to get the job done:

Step 1: Clean the repair area thoroughly and remove old, hanging thread with your fingers (or a seam ripper if you have access to one).

Three images in a row, one of torn leather work gloves on a white bench, one of hands holding a GEAR AID sewing kit with the gloves in the background, and one of the individual components of the sewing kit on a white background - the tube, some thread, needles, stitch ripper, buttons, and pins

Step 2: Grab your heavy-duty thread from your sewing kit and cut at a 45° angle. Thread your needle and knot the thread at the tail end.

Three images in a row, hands holding thread and a needle with a white background, next two images of hands threading the needle,

Step 3: Using a zigzag stitch, close the rip or tear on the leather and then tie the thread once it’s completely patched.

Three images in a row, first is of hands stitching the first stitch in a pair of gloves, second is of the stitches nearly complete with the needle in the gloves, third image is tying a knot in the finished stitch job

Step 4: After you’ve completed the stitching, apply a thin film of Seam Grip WP on top of the stitched area using the application brush to spread the urethane sealant.

Three images in a row: first is of hands holding seam grip WP plus an applicator above gloves, second is applying a thin bead of Seam Grip, third is using the applicator to smooth it out

Step 5: Lay your leather glove flat in a dry location and leave to cure for 8-12 hours.

Two images in a row, first is displaying the finished Seam Grip and sewing repair close up to camera, second image is the gloves sitting on a white background

Tip: You can also use Seam Grip WP to seal tarps, tents, sleeping pads, and anything else that has a leak.

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