Leather and aramid gloves for welding, foundry and hot work, certified to EN 407 for thermal risks and EN 12477 for welding, in Type A and Type B constructions.
Heat is not one hazard. A glove that shrugs off radiant heat from an arc may be poor against contact heat from a workpiece, and a glove that stops spatter may hold on to it. EN 407 separates these so you can specify against the process rather than a general impression of toughness.
The digits are always in this order.
An X in any position means that property was not tested. A 0 means it was tested and did not reach level 1. For a glove to claim protection against flame at all, the burning behaviour digit must be at least level 3.
EN 12477 is the welding specific standard and it splits gloves into two.
Specifying a Type A glove for TIG produces poor welds and a welder who works bare handed. Specifying Type B for stick work is a burn waiting to happen.
Grain leather is the outer surface of the hide. It is smoother, more supple and more precise, so it suits TIG and light MIG. Split leather comes from the inner layers. It is thicker, fluffier and cheaper, and it resists spatter better because droplets sit on the nap and roll off instead of sticking. Many gloves combine the two, using grain on the palm for feel and split on the back and cuff for thermal cover.
Ordinary polyester or cotton thread melts or burns before the leather is anywhere near failing, and the glove opens along its seams while the panels are still intact. Welding gloves are stitched with aramid thread, usually Kevlar, which chars rather than melting. Check the stitching specification, because it is the most common point of premature failure.
Match the cuff to the position, not to the process alone. A short cuff is acceptable for bench work at waist height. Overhead and out of position welding, where spatter falls towards the forearm, needs a long gauntlet, and the sleeve should go over the cuff so nothing can drop inside. For foundry pouring, the longest available cuff is the right default.
In order they are burning behaviour, contact heat, convective heat, radiant heat, small splashes of molten metal and large quantities of molten metal, each scored 1 to 4. An X means the property was not tested and a 0 means it was tested but did not reach level 1.
Type A for higher thermal and mechanical demand with less dexterity, which suits MMA, high current MAG, gouging and foundry work. Type B for higher dexterity with a lower thermal requirement, which suits TIG where the welder needs to feel the filler rod.
Grain leather is smoother and more precise, so it suits TIG and light MIG. Split leather is thicker with a raised nap that lets spatter roll off, so it suits heavier processes. Many gloves use grain on the palm and split on the back and cuff to get both.
Because ordinary polyester or cotton thread melts or burns long before the leather fails, so the glove comes apart at the seams while the panels are still sound. Aramid thread chars instead of melting, which keeps the seams intact for the working life of the leather.
Send the sizes and quantities you need and we will come back with a written quotation. Contact Knight Safety Gear.