Factory Break-In

What the heck is factory break-in?

If you’ve been wondering what “factory break-in” is, it’s exactly what it sounds like: the amount of hammering done to your glove’s leather before it leaves the factory. Despite what you may have heard, breaking in a glove is surprisingly simple. You hammer and pound the leather for a while (depending on how broken-in you want your glove to be), and voila – the leather softens. No oils, ointments, microwaves, or other crazy gimmicks are necessary! Playing catch breaks in a glove so well – even though it sometimes feels like it takes forever – because the ball is basically just hammering the leather every time you snag it. Simple!

Ordering a Custom? Personalizing Your Glove’s Condition and Feel.

That’s where Buckler Sports comes in. They don’t mind doing some of the work for you – right there in their factory – so that by the time your Buckler arrives, it’s in the exact condition you want. Need it game-ready? Easy enough; they’ll do their best hammering. Prefer to break it in yourself? No problem; they’ll skip the hammering and ship your leather on the stiffer side. The good news is that all the hammering we do (or don’t do) will have no effect on the length of your glove’s life – it simply determines how quickly you’ll be able to use it in a game.

Here are your options:

Game-Ready (90 % break-in)

It’s pretty much done. Form your pocket, do a little shaping, and hustle out to shortstop. You can thank us when you turn your next double play.

Soft

We’ve done a lot of the work for you, but there’s still a bit left. Grab a mallet, play some catch, and you’ll be game-ready soon.

Regular

You’ve got some serious hammering to do before you start playing catch. Expect some stiff leather, and don’t plan on making any diving catches next week.

Hard

We get it – you want to control every minute of the break-in process. (Every artist has quirks.) The leather is going to be really, really stiff, and you’re going to be hammering and shaping for a long time. Patience is key.