Gauntlets

Hi all,

I was watching GW on Friday and Monty was wearing a pair of elbow length gauntlets while pruning a rambling rose.  I have tried a couple of pairs, which I suspect were of lower quality than Monty's, but still get spiked by brambles (mainly in the fingertips). Can anyone recommend a good pair of tough gauntlets that will protect against all but the most tenacious thorns?

Thanks

Andrew

A few years ago- at a car-boot- I picked up a pair of welding gloves that are ideal for thorny tasks.

if youve got a set already why not try another pair of gloves underneath/over them?

i know it might seem like hassle but you may already have these gloves and would save getting a new pair of gauntlets.

I have welding gauntlets and still come away from three falls with the roses bleeding, even Monty was yelping as he cut the roses with the gloves on.
I have decided to invest in a flame thrower or one of those long jungle machetes.

Frank.

A machete is a thing of wonder, but you've still got to pick up the darned branches afterwards, and the thorns are no less prickly for being detached from the shrubs!!  You can buy genuinly thornproof, virtually chainmail, workgloves from an industrial type store or on line, but they are incredibly expensive.  I find a good pair of leather gloves, really sharp secatures and a grippy thing to pick the branches up with to put them in the bin or in a load for the skip the best.  The grippy thing ia a cheap (£5) item  for people who can't bend well to pick up newspapers and smaller things that fall to the floor - it does work. I don't compost roses as the thorns just do not disappear in my experience. 

Wear your usual gloves (don't grab the victim so hard, there's no need to grab most by the stems anyway) and just sellotape a newspaper around your forearms (local free rag will finally be useful). Saves forking out for what is effectively a once a year item.

This reminds me of fencing at school, Epee and Cutlass duly buttoned and blunted and under the wing of Bill Williams sports master and Egyptian swimming champion (don't ask I never found out) we raised bruises on each other. No "elf & safety" back then just jolly good fun.
Now I know whatever I do though never thought of wrapping page three girls round my arms, those dag blasted roses will draw blood. Why do we grow them I ask?
I now use my hedge trimmer on them standing well back and chopping them into small bits which get raked up lifted with a piece of wood and a shovel into a plastic bin. Somewhere along the line a whip will get me on the back of the neck or arm or leg, there is no escaping them, you damage me I will damage you seems to be the order of the day. I just keep a handy supply of plasters and get on with it.

Frank.

Thanks for all the replies, some really useful ideas. I like the idea of a newspaper wrapped around the arms, gives you something to read as well.

Welding gloves sound good too, now to find an old pair...

Regards

A