View Full Version : Mechanix vs. Oakley SI Assault Gloves
Been looking at getting a pair of gloves for a while.
I have a friend that can get me 55% off of any oakley product so cost isnt the issue between the two.
Which would you recommend and why?
Been looking at getting a pair of gloves for a while.
I have a friend that can get me 55% off of any oakley product so cost isnt the issue between the two.
Which would you recommend and why?
FYI, at that discount, he is getting them from usstadardissue.com and is a LEO, Military or other qualifying person to be able to purchase from that site.
As per usstandardissue.com's agreement, he IS NOT allowed to make this purchase for anyone but himself.
Don't ruin it for either of you, and remind him not to take advantage of the program, it only messes it up for the rest of us.
snakedoctor
12-10-09, 16:25
if you put any gloves through any extended use any brand will eventually wear out. dont go too cheap though or you'll wear through them faster and will be buying more often.
FYI, at that discount, he is getting them from usstadardissue.com and is a LEO, Military or other qualifying person to be able to purchase from that site.
As per usstandardissue.com's agreement, he IS NOT allowed to make this purchase for anyone but himself.
Don't ruin it for either of you, and remind him not to take advantage of the program, it only messes it up for the rest of us.
He works at a bicycle shop which is affiliated with Oakley, whether or not he'd even have access to the program is outta my hands.
But thank you for the heads up.
Looks like Ill be going with mechanix
spankaveli
12-10-09, 17:16
FYI, at that discount, he is getting them from usstadardissue.com and is a LEO, Military or other qualifying person to be able to purchase from that site.
As per usstandardissue.com's agreement, he IS NOT allowed to make this purchase for anyone but himself.
Don't ruin it for either of you, and remind him not to take advantage of the program, it only messes it up for the rest of us.
There are other ways that you can get a significant discount on Oakley products.
IIRC the glasses I bought when my wife worked at cabelas were ~50% off with her employee discount.
The company a family member works for owns OAKLEY, and even they can't get the prices I can get OAKLEY products for at usstandardissue.com...
I suppose there might be other ways to get that high of a discount, but I made the statement for the lack of knowing anywhere else it could even be possible...
//me shrugs... But hey, if you can find them somewhere at a great deal, have at it...
Sorry if I implied incorrectly to the original poster...
I could never get the Oakley gloves to fit my hand right. The fingers are too short on the size Large and the palm is too big on the XLs. They are very nice gloves if they fit your hand.
An alternative that I use is the Fox Bomber Glove (http://www.rockymountainatv.com/productDetail.do?navTitle=Apparel-MX+Gear&webCatId=1&navType=type&webTypeId=65&prodFamilyId=14285&listingId=&sizeAttr=Select&colorAttr=Select). They are similar in design to the Oakley glove but fit my hand much better. They're very durable; I've got 2 years of hard ATV riding and shooting on my pair and they are only now starting to come apart.
Whats the intended use?
I've always used the mechanix gloves with the Fire Department. They always lasted in the lite duty department (rolling hose, station maint., truck repair, and etc, etc). When they get wet the get pretty stiff, but break back in well. If you haven't already, check out their tacticool line. They are built pretty close to the oringinal work glove. http://www.mechanix.com/tactical
Good luck
Brad
Whats the intended use?
I've always used the mechanix gloves with the Fire Department. They always lasted in the lite duty department (rolling hose, station maint., truck repair, and etc, etc). When they get wet the get pretty stiff, but break back in well. If you haven't already, check out their tacticool line. They are built pretty close to the oringinal work glove. http://www.mechanix.com/tactical
Good luck
Brad
I have a rare situation with a set of rails on my carbine.
They didnt come with the standard aluminum heat shield, so as you can imagine after shooting for a while I can barely grip the rifle because of the amount of heat generated. Ive used gloves in the past but im looking to find a pair tailored to my needs
I've never used the Oakleys so I can't give you any feedback on them, but I use Mechanix gloves. I've used the original, m-pact and m-pact two. All are great gloves, they've held up well. I'm a LEO and I use them at work, no problems shooting or cuffing or with any manipulations. I had a pair of original a while back and the seam opened up. I called Mechanix and told them about it, they took them back and replaced them with a new pair...so pretty good customer service.
Just my two cents.
JC
I've used the Oakley gloves for about 2 years now. I've used them on 4 marijuana grows where I pulled multiple plants and a lot of hiking and rappelling as well. . Lots of shooting with them too. They've held up well.
Thanks for the info guys.
To the people who have experience with oakley, what general purposes do you see with the reinforced knuckle?
And another general question,
As far as insulation in either of the gloves, do they provide any protection against cold temperatures? ( wont be a factor, Im just curious)
I've been using the Oakley gloves for about 2 years now and am finally contemplating ordering a replacement pair of my tan gloves (I have 1 pair of each, black and tan). The tan gloves are the ones I use the most. I use them almost every time I shoot (at least 1 competition every month plus practice). I don't have any holes in the gloves, but the threading on one of the fingers is starting to come apart. I haven't found an actual "need" for the carbon fiber knuckles, but as the old saying goes, I'd rather have and not need instead of need and not have. :D
The only experience I have with Mechanix gloves is when working on my trucks, not at the range. The ones I have are just their standard pair, nothing fancy about them. I do wish they had the hard knuckles on them sometimes though when working on the truck.
Neither style of gloves are insulated (the Oakleys actually have holes designed in them to help them breathe). I still use the Oakleys in the PA winters when I shoot.
I'm surprised that no one suggested the Vickers gloves. I use a pair for cold weather shooting, it's very durable and comfortable.
For hand to hand combat its obvious that Oakley has a distinct advantage.
Like a user mentioned earlier I as well am going to be doing alot of cold weather shooting as well. What are your thoughts on the Vickers gloves?
Thanks for the info guys.
To the people who have experience with oakley, what general purposes do you see with the reinforced knuckle?
And another general question,
As far as insulation in either of the gloves, do they provide any protection against cold temperatures? ( wont be a factor, Im just curious)
As I mentioned in my previous post, I use the Fox Dirt Bomber glove which has a plastic reinforced knuckle just like the Oakleys. In design, construction, and materials they are nearly identical.
For dynamic action like moving through doors or going to roll over prone, the plastic can keep you from bashing your knuckles on the door jamb or scraping them on the ground when firing from your side. I've also heard that they are good for striking people in the face, but have no experience of that my self, either giving or receiving. ;)
I will say that the knuckle guards have protected my hands admirably while bombing though the woods on my ATV.
I wouldn't call them a cold weather glove per se, but they are way better than nothing. In moderately cold temperatures they work well as long as they don't get wet. They don't hold much heat in once they are soaked. They are ventilated to allow heat to escape (remember the Oakleys were originally designed as a mountain bike glove) during strenuous activity. They should offer decent thermal protection down into the 40's and possibly the 30's if it's dry.
Wear Oakleys @ work (LEO)
they fit me well. I can identify items when searching, use keys, and shoot while wearing them
TO me they are not at all warm but it has been in the TEENS here all week so nothing really is.
I could do with out the C/F knuckels as here they are considered an Impact weapon. like another poster said they are great for dynamic stuff when your hands are out there geating beat up
I have also found them useful for knock and announce as they hit doors with a resounding thud
good luck
If you're looking to battle barrel heat, I'd vote against the SI's. You will get much better insulation with the Mechanix gloves -- hands down. I do enjoy my Oakley's, but they are slightly restrictive at certain angles. I had even taken the fingers off of a pair, but that only adds slightly to mobility.
If you want a pair of gloves to work with your rails - and for over all shooting - nothing has done me better than a pair of nomex flight gloves. 5.11 has a great cut-down pair with knuckle patches; I like these better than the full length flight gloves due to the lack of bulk.
Cheers.
+1 for Mechanix
Oakley is just a victim of over-engineering their gloves. Same principle of K.I.S.S. applies to gear.
Why pay more for Oakleys you can get Mechanix for a fraction of the cost with a longer track record of making gloves?
Just some food for thought
Hoplophile
12-11-09, 23:25
Mechanix gloves are great so long as you are not using mag pouches with a velcro flap because the velcro sticks to the fabric areas of the gloves.
When using that type of pouch I prefer nomex aviator gloves.
+1 for Mechanix
Oakley is just a victim of over-engineering their gloves. Same principle of K.I.S.S. applies to gear.
Why pay more for Oakleys you can get Mechanix for a fraction of the cost with a longer track record of making gloves?
Just some food for thought
Absolutely,
I know little to nothing about Mechanix though.
What versions should I be keeping an eye out for?
Is there any version that is more highly sought after?
I hate the oakley gloves, wish I had never paid for them. They sit pretty while my hatch and blackhawk gloves get used and abused. I cant stand the feel of the knuckles and the fingers are too long for the size. If you want a good high dollar glove, go hatch.
Iraq Ninja
12-12-09, 07:10
I have used both extensively at "work" here. My Oakleys never wore out, but they seem a bit complex and thus more chances for the seam to blow out. Big problem I had was pushing buttons on communication kit, phones, GPS, etc.
The Mech gloves were better in all regards, but do not have the knuckle protection, which I don't need much of.
If fire is a concern, both will melt. I have returned to nomex for that reason.
Another option is a pair of nice leather gloves. It is a trick I learned from a friend here who is ex SAS. They used to take a fine pair of thin driving gloves and soak them in water and wear them till they dry. The leather shrinks to fit very nicely and is fire resistant, but not as good as nomex. I think they may have been British aviation gloves...
Leather gloves also offer a bit more protection from body fluids if that is a concern.
I have used both extensively at "work" here. My Oakleys never wore out, but they seem a bit complex and thus more chances for the seam to blow out. Big problem I had was pushing buttons on communication kit, phones, GPS, etc.
The Mech gloves were better in all regards, but do not have the knuckle protection, which I don't need much of.
If fire is a concern, both will melt. I have returned to nomex for that reason.
Another option is a pair of nice leather gloves. It is a trick I learned from a friend here who is ex SAS. They used to take a fine pair of thin driving gloves and soak them in water and wear them till they dry. The leather shrinks to fit very nicely and is fire resistant, but not as good as nomex. I think they may have been British aviation gloves...
Leather gloves also offer a bit more protection from body fluids if that is a concern.
Cold or hot water? (or does make a difference?)
Where might I obtain a pair of driving gloves? Whats the price range looking like?
just curios
Cold or hot water? (or does make a difference?)
Where might I obtain a pair of driving gloves? Whats the price range looking like?
just curios
I think the warm water would make them expand alittle more I am sure either would work I bet you could find them by google driving gloves or do the same thing to leather shooting gloves but they may be alittle thicker than a driving glove but still work well.
I got some kangroo skin shooters from cabelas I love them. I dont know if they are made non insulated so that may be an issue.
Also Mechanix makes a few pair of nomex gloves but I think they are thicker gloves not sure I have seen them online but not tried them on
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MEC-MN-05-010/?image=large
I got the Oakley SI Gloves the other day, they're packed up and ready to go back. They do not fit my hands at all, through the palm and hand itself is fine, but the fingers are too long with too much material in the tips, and overall extremely tight, and the thumb is way too long and loose. Finally the web of the glove doesn't even come close to fitting the web of my hand. Doing pretty much anything has been impossible in trying these gloves out, pushing any type of button or holding my pistol are completely impossible tasks, not to mention there is no help with the cold.
I'm most likely going to give Mechanix a shot due to the affordability and good reviews all around. I'm also considering getting a pair of Pro-Tech 8-X extrication gloves, I'll need them for work anyways so I figured what's to lose, just waiting on word about sizing from the manufacturer.
I wouldn't mind giving these a try because I've had good luck with Mechanix gloves...
http://www.mechanix.com/the-original-05-glove
Can't say whether or not there is any better dexterity in these than others as I've never tried them, but I'd be curious to find out.
Mechanix does make fire retardant gloves, but they are not cheap and definitely not designed for shooting. I, for one, don't find myself in the same situations that Iraq Ninja does, so I haven't had the need for nomex. But if that is a factor, then Mechanix are probably not the way to go.
IN....stay safe over there bro.
JC
ForTehNguyen
12-14-09, 12:32
im pretty interested in the mechanix tactical gloves. Only $25
http://www.mechanix.com/tactical
Noob question: What exactly can I do to help determine the size I need without being able to try them on?
spamsammich
12-14-09, 15:28
Noob question: What exactly can I do to help determine the size I need without being able to try them on?
it kinda depends on the manufacturers sizing scheme. Several have you take a measuring tape like tailors use and have you wrap it around your hand at or below the knuckles. Then you compare the circumference of your hand to a sizing chart. I don't know that there is a standardized sizing chart that manufacturers work from.
ForTehNguyen
12-14-09, 17:34
Noob question: What exactly can I do to help determine the size I need without being able to try them on?
Mechanix has a sizing chart:
http://www.mechanix.com/mech_download/e0593a97906889c6c59ee948db36c7fb
For some reason the link you have given me is broken but I did find a sizing chart elsewhere. Thanks for your reply
I wore a brand new pair of Mechanix Fast Fit gloves in an EAG carbine class last year and as noted earlier in an earlier post you have to pay attention around velcro pouches. The velcro will pull strands of material from the gloves fingers, I observed this as well when taping targets with the gloves on the tape was pulling strands of material from the fingers. I ended up with a hole in both index fingers partially my fault for not recognizing the problem sooner, Mechanix was not that great to work with to rectify the problem though, but for $ 15.00 a pair I guess you cannot really complain.
I have Oakley's but have not worn them enough to see how they will hold up, As far as sizing I have always gone with gloves basically the same size as my shoe size and not really had a problem with fit. I remember reading somewhere that shoe size equates to glove size in most people although I could be incorrect. For work lately I have been using the Franklin Uni-Force they are pretty form fitting and made from a combination of leather and nylon, Franklin also makes batting gloves so they have been around awhile. I have tried all kinds of gloves until usually finding one I like.
Noob question: What exactly can I do to help determine the size I need without being able to try them on?
so you have home depot or sears or lowes around you go try them on they have the full color versions but it will give you IDEA on the size at least
FYI, at that discount, he is getting them from usstadardissue.com and is a LEO, Military or other qualifying person to be able to purchase from that site.
As per usstandardissue.com's agreement, he IS NOT allowed to make this purchase for anyone but himself.
Don't ruin it for either of you, and remind him not to take advantage of the program, it only messes it up for the rest of us.
I have a friend who is LEO and he says that the program states the person cannot make a profit from the program. So if the person is not making a profit, it seems to be ok to buy for other people as long as you don't earn a dime.
I have used both extensively at "work" here. My Oakleys never wore out, but they seem a bit complex and thus more chances for the seam to blow out. Big problem I had was pushing buttons on communication kit, phones, GPS, etc.
The Mech gloves were better in all regards, but do not have the knuckle protection, which I don't need much of.
If fire is a concern, both will melt. I have returned to nomex for that reason.
Another option is a pair of nice leather gloves. It is a trick I learned from a friend here who is ex SAS. They used to take a fine pair of thin driving gloves and soak them in water and wear them till they dry. The leather shrinks to fit very nicely and is fire resistant, but not as good as nomex. I think they may have been British aviation gloves...
Leather gloves also offer a bit more protection from body fluids if that is a concern.
some of the hardest wearing, thinnest leathers that you can find is goatskin. I used very thin pairs of goatskin gloves when I worked in a tungsten sinter and press plant and they were really nice for fine work like adjusting tares, and gauges, and writing, but durable enough for rolling barrels, stacking pallets, or operating machinery.
it was very hot in that plant but I don't remember ever feeling these gloves were uncomfortable or that my hands were ever cold all through the winter. outstanding performance...
im pretty interested in the mechanix tactical gloves. Only $25
http://www.mechanix.com/tactical
Advanced Auto Parts carries the all black Covert glove for $17.99 + tax.
ForTehNguyen
12-22-09, 07:59
oh nice thanks for the tip, oos tho, but ill wait now :)
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