Hi all
With the winter season around the corner I had been looking for a good pair of gloves, I was looking for a pair that would allow me to sketch at the telescope and change eyepieces and other pieces of equipment without any inconvenience. Initially I though that a pair of lobster gloves would do the job, Aldi were selling a pair in their cycle range, they were less than a tenner, so I bought a pair. When I got to try them out they were totally inadequate, the index and middle finger sat in one section with the ring and little finger in the other. I discovered that I was incapable to holding a pencil properly and tightening the screw on the diagonal was a chore, still, they will do for the bike.
This month's edition of Astronomy Now had an ad for Astro Gloves,
www.astrogloves.net
, they were priced at £24.99, a little pricey, their website had good reviews, but can you trust the reviews on a company website? I took the plunge and ordered a pair. They arrived yesterday, and , miracle of miracles, last night was clear, and I got to give them a try. They are a snug fit, made of neoprene, the tips of the thumb, index and middle fingers are exposed to the first joint, I was sceptical, if the tips of your fingers are cold, so is your hand, right?
Wrong, the gloves worked wonderfully, I was out for about three hours, until eleven, and the only times the tips of my fingers felt cold was when I was touching cold metal. With the tips of fingers and thumb exposed I could hold the pencil, change pages on my sketch book and change eyepieces with ease, having a firm grip on the eyepieces does a lot for your confidence, confidence I did not have with the lobster gloves.
I was sheltered in my back garden, and I am sure that when exposed to the wind the tips of my fingers will get cold, but that's why they invented pockets.
For anyone who wants more dexterity and the comfort of the hands being warm, I recommend the Astro Gloves.
Paul
