I started wearing gloves after I...

[Scrappy]

Greetings. I wanted to know what has prompted all the diggers out there to wear gloves. For me is was (don't judge):
1. Gashed finger
2. Infected cuticle
3. 3 blisters (and I have wicked thick callus)
4. 2 or 3 skinned fingers.

I now wear gloves and wonder why the hell I didn't always. Let's hear your stories!

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[Muddyhandz]

I actually invite all callouses as they come in handy protecting my hands.
BUT unfortunately years of digging in frozen ground without gloves, left me with arthritis at the age of 41.
So I now wear gloves in cold weather but when it's warmer out, I'm still "Muddyhandz."
By fall time, my hands are so dry that it would make the OP of the thread "Please keep your hands out of photos" cringe!
Definitely need hand cream by winter.
What can I say....I don't like wearing gloves!
Cheers,
Dave.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

I started wear them the day i went to sweep away some brush to find a shallow target and swept away 2 hypodermic needles

Sad thing is, it was about 20 feet from the Tot Lot at this park...also my first week detecting

 

[Limitool]

Nope no gloves here also.... cold or not. And I know were talking about MD'ing here but I remember bow deer hunting in late Dec. in MI. I'd wear gloves out to the deer stand and then take them off and put them into my pockets. And I remember after I shot a deer (many) and field dressing it how cold my hands got. I'd break the ice in the swamp or the nearest stream (always close by) and put my hand in the cold water and it felt SO WARM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even a pile of snow felt warm after a few minutes. So I guess MD'ing doesn't even "count"... YET!!!!!

 

[SusanMN]

Got a great signal in a pile of duck poop.

 

[travelerga]

I dig where there is lots of poison ivy, even the roots will get you.

 

[Red James Cash]

I dig where there is lots of poison ivy, even the roots will get you.

So will the oil from ivy that gets on your gloves

 

[Limitool]

So will the oil from ivy that gets on your gloves

After last weekend exploring with Huntsman53 (Frank) way out behind my home I came home with SOMETHING that broke out ALL OVER my left hand most (left handed) and the right and both forearms up to my elbow. Son says it takes 4-6 days for poison ivy or any ivy to break out. I say BULL****. And its not chiggers or such.... I do know THEM. Ok... I'm wimping out. But detecting in duck poop is great advise.

 

[Bloodline]

So will the oil from ivy that gets on your gloves

That's for sure.

The last place we lived- in the back yard there was these 2 huge monster poison ivy plants. Both grew up and mushroomed out about 7-8 ft tall. Let me tell you. You can't touch em in any season dead or alive. Even the dust off them will itch you're eyes out. Even burning them will get you. It grew up a tree in the front yard and chocked out a beautiful red flowering crab apple. I was constantly trying to cut if off from around the bottom.
I highly recommend gloves if there is even a worry about being to close to the stuff, then throw away the gloves. If you get that stuff on you're clothes, I'd throw em away also.

Poison Ivy sucks

 

[barrywk]

there was no hesitation...when i started detecting,i started wearing gloves...the reason is ,when i was a kid i was digging in the dirt like i do detecting ,pulling the dirt out of the hole with my hand cupped and there was a piece of glass in hole with the edge out and i split open one of my fingers.I still remember that vividly and i wont do it without gloves

 

[KEYSHUNTER]

ever hear of poison wood trees,bad stuff in south florida..kick is it is protected by florida ,i had it for over 5 weeks,long time in the dog house ,had to toss alot of bedding,clothes,towels,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[cw0909]

I started wear them the day i went to sweep away some brush to find a shallow target and swept away 2 hypodermic needles

Sad thing is, it was about 20 feet from the Tot Lot at this park...also my first week detecting

yep me to,got stuck by it,long 3 and 6 month wait to get a neg test result for hiv
@ 3 month was neg,then doc says need to wait 3 more to be sure
now i sweep away debris with my boot

 

[Scrappy]

yep me to,got stuck by it,long 3 and 6 month wait to get a neg test result for hiv @ 3 month was neg,then doc says need to wait 3 more to be sure now i sweep away debris with my boot

I didn't even think of needles..sheez.

I never wear gloves doing anything ever, even commercial fishing in the dead of winter off New England, so I wanted to justify to myself I'm not being a
p#€€y!

I must say that over 50 fillet knife stitches, 4 "fish infections", 3 major fish bite lacerations, countless teeth "scrapes" and the such, that I never have and never will wear gloves commercial fishing.

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[BigWaveDave]

No gloves for me... I got them, but just too hot and clumsy for me. I am the one who is "waiting to learn his lesson" I guess. My line of work puts a hurting on my hands, so scratching and clawing in the soft sand of an old home is a welcome risk.

 

[K1DDO1979]

If it's raining bad or just muddy as hell I will sometimes use tight latex gloves. It's like nothing's really on and when your done you have clean dry hands!

 

[thommo59]

I only dig beaches so have never worn gloves. I did try a field once and the next day my fingers tips ached.

 

[jeff of pa]

I don't wear gloves.

back in the turn of the Century 1999/2001 era
while doing a freshly Drained lake that was pure Mud
I wasn't even using a digger other then my hands
most of the time.
I would just push my hand into the thickening mud
feel for the object & pull it out.

after awhile My hands felt like raw pieces of meat,
so I did take to wearing Rubber Gloves in order to let my hands heal while still digging.

after leaving that spot I went back to not using gloves as I have never found a pair
short of surgical gloves that I could easily reach into a narrow deep hole,
feel a coin through, and pick up easily.
and glass & other sharp stuff always seemed to end up destroying the gloves
within minutes.

It's Much Much cheaper to me, To just risk getting dirty Fingernails, Blisters,
or cuts I need to rub dirt in to stop bleeding, rather then keep buying gloves
that desensitize & hinder my Enjoyment.

& Washing my Hands in Clorox cleans them up enough to not look like a coal miner,
while eating.
and it Wards off Poisons & dries up cuts

 

[pjduff]

Since starting metal detecting in the early 90's, I've cut my hands and fingers many times on pieces of glass, aluminum cans, rusty pieces of iron, or even sharp rocks, a few times I probably should have even gotten stitches but never did. I tried gloves for awhile, but they just always felt like they were in the way and I would end up taking them off anyway. I'll probably just keep doing what I've always done and just pack the cut with dirt and keep on detecting.

 

[Escape]

If it's raining bad or just muddy as hell I will sometimes use tight latex gloves. It's like nothing's really on and when your done you have clean dry hands!

Thats what I use. My hands get very irritated in the earth if I don't.

 

[VernonWalter]

Working in an office and essentially using a computer for my job, lots of keyboard work, I genuinely need to protect my fingers. Having worked about a dozen blue collar jobs - waited tables, cashier, movie theater, etc - I learned the importance of hand care, specifically frequent, effective hand washing. In turn, I have a really strong immune system, soft hands, and excellent dexterity. Working through Texas clay, feeling it get up under my nails, it just wasn't pleasant. Then I started digging up some bugs and stuff, which are not my best pals. I'm going to start using the latex type that medical professionals use. Anytime you've got a super amazing find just waiting to be rescued from a patch of Poison Ivy or Poison Oak, well, I'm your dude - not allergic to either of them!