Okay, so I’ve had this old baseball glove kicking around since, like, forever. It was my dad’s, then mine, and it was looking rough. Cracked, dry, stiff as a board – you name it. I couldn’t bring myself to toss it, though, so I figured I’d try to bring it back to life. Here’s how I went about restoring my old baseball glove.
Getting Started: Cleaning the Beast
First things first, I grabbed a soft brush – an old toothbrush, actually – and went to town on the glove. I brushed off all the loose dirt and dust. You wouldn’t believe how much gunk was caked in there!
Next, I dampened a clean cloth with some warm water – not soaking wet, just damp. I wiped down the entire glove, inside and out, getting into all the nooks and crannies. This helped loosen up some of the more stubborn grime.
Conditioning: Bringing Back the Suppleness
This is where the magic (or, you know, the hard work) happened. I picked up some glove conditioner – specifically designed for baseball gloves. Don’t use just any old leather conditioner, it might not be right for the glove.
- I applied a small amount of the conditioner to a clean cloth.
- Then, I rubbed it into the leather in small, circular motions. I made sure to cover every inch of the glove, paying extra attention to the really dry and cracked areas.
- I let the glove sit for about 20 minutes to absorb the conditioner.
- After that, I used a clean, dry cloth to wipe off any excess conditioner.
I repeated this process a couple of times, letting the glove dry completely between applications. It’s amazing how much softer and more pliable it became!
Shaping and Forming: Getting the Pocket Right
The glove was looking better, but the pocket was still pretty flat. To fix this, I grabbed a baseball and placed it right in the pocket. Then, I wrapped the glove tightly with some old rags and secured it with rubber bands.
I left it like this overnight. The next day, I removed the rags and the ball, and voila! The pocket was nicely formed and ready to catch some fly balls.
Finishing Touches
I noticed a few loose threads, my Dad must be rolling in his grave, so, I used my wife’s sewing kit and carefully trimmed them. My wife was not happy, but my old glove was looking great!
Finally, I gave the glove one last wipe-down with a dry cloth, just to make sure it was clean and ready for action. It’s not perfect, but it’s a thousand times better than it was. Now I have a piece of my Dad that I’ll always cherish, I hope my kid wants it, but they’ll probably just sell in on eBay.
