The fellas at CopShopUK Ltd are now stocking the lineup of Search Gloves, which offer stab and slash protection. There are two product types in the lineup Utility Gloves and WorkWear Plus. The WorkWear Plus gloves are designed for more dextile use whereas the Utility set are intended for a rougher, more abrasive use; both offer your hands greater levels of protection than most gloves can ever supply:
Puncture Protection
No glove is puncture proof, but TurtleSkin offers the highest puncture resistance ever achieved in a lightweight, flexible fabric.These gloves can resist the puncture of a .05 inch needle under several pounds of pressure, giving you more reaction time to pull away from sharp objects. To evaluate puncture resistance, we use Series IX Automated Materials Testing System madeby Instron per the modified standard EN344. This measures the pounds of force it takes a .05 inch solid steel needle to puncture a material by .03 inches, traveling at a constant, rate of .395 inch per minute. With the variety of penetrators and hypodermic needles, no single test can determine puncture performance.
Cut Protection
Although no glove is ever truly cut-proof, TurtleSkins outstanding cut resistance far surpasses any other lightweight, flexible material on the market. The American Society for Testing and Materials has collaborated with the industry to develop the CutProtection Performance (CPP) Test, ASTM F-1790-97 using a razor blade to cut through a fabric while sliding a distance of one inch.The average force it takes to sever the material is its CPP. As you can see in the chart to the left based on equal thickness, TurtleSkin offersnearly 5 times the cut resistance of standard aramid lined gloves and over 25 times that of cowhide leather gloves. Measuring only .017 of an inch thick, only TurtleSkin offers the cut performance and dexterity needed in critical situations.
Abrasion Resistance
Wear-life is one of the key components customers weigh as they judge the quality of a glove. According to the ASTMD3884 method, TurtleSkin gloves will resist abrasion 11 times longer than cowhide and over 40 times longer than aramid knit of equal thickness.The American Society for Testing and Materials measures abrasion on a Taber machine by the number of cycles an abrasive wheel makes until it has worn through the material. TurtleSkins ability to excel at this rigorous test means it can hold up to some of the harshest environments. And it is the only flexible glove material that also provides superior performance in cut and puncture with a comfortable fit. (CopShopUK)
On a separate note I’ve had a chance to try out a set of their Task Force boots (thanks go to the guys at CopShopUK for sending them over) and they really are very nicely made bits of kit – you even get a set of spare laces in the box. After a 24hour 300mile treck into the city and back taking abuse from all areas my feet and the boots are still in one piece.
