Golden Stag

Golden Stag gloves are leather work gloves for ranch chores, fencing, construction and winter work. The one to know first is the 170: a waterproof pigskin glove with a Thinsulate lining and a stretch knit back, made for cold, wet jobs like shoveling slush, feeding stock or clearing a frozen gate. Pick the rest of the line by the job: fencing leather, heavier winter wear, or soft gloves for fine work.

Golden Stag Gloves was founded in 1980 by Randy Martinson in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, and calls itself a U.S.-based glove company. Its gloves are built for ranching, fencing, construction and welding, in cowhide, pigskin, deerskin, elkskin and ragg wool. The company says it uses real leather with no fillers or shortcuts.

The 170 waterproof pigskin glove

The 170 is Golden Stag’s fully waterproof winter work glove in pigskin leather, lined with Thinsulate to hold warmth. The stretch knit back gives a close fit and lets the glove slide on and off, which matters when you’re pulling it off every few minutes to work a phone or a zipper. A Bolton thumb and curved fingers let the hand close naturally on a shovel handle or a bucket bail, so you aren’t fighting stiff leather all morning. Pigskin is a good leather for wet work because it stays softer than cowhide after it’s been soaked and dried.

Two things to know before you buy. The same waterproofing that keeps snowmelt out keeps sweat in, so on hard work in mild weather your hands can get damp inside; it’s the glove for cold days, not a spring fencing job. Try it on before you settle on your usual size. It comes in S through XXL, with women’s and kids’ versions of the same glove. Dry a wet pair slowly at room temperature, never on a heater or a woodstove, and it keeps its shape.

The fencing gloves

The Iron Fencer is Golden Stag’s heavy-duty work glove, with a double palm, which is the right build for fencing: every time you pull a strand tight, the wire drags across your palm, and a single thin layer is what wears through first.

Seams are the next worry on any fencing glove, and the Construction Glove answers it with its leather. It’s 100% split cowhide, made for abrasion and puncture resistance, and Golden Stag markets it for handling barbed wire and rough lumber. Split leather is the rough inner layer of the hide, and it takes scraping better than smooth leather does. The adjustable wrist keeps wood chips and debris out of the cuff. Golden Stag says it will make it right if a pair of Construction Gloves doesn’t hold up.

The Leather Waterproof glove is the fencing glove for wet days. It has a heavy grain-leather palm, a suede cowhide back that stays comfortable over a long day, patches on the palm and fingers, and a wrap-around index finger, the finger that takes the most wire. It’s recommended for shovel work and fence building. For a season of stretching wire every day, wear the split-cowhide Construction Glove and keep the Leather Waterproof for shovel work in the wet.

Winter: the lobster mitten and the lined waterproof glove

For heavier winter work than the 170 handles, Golden Stag has two more Thinsulate-lined styles. The Construction Glove is breathable and fine for a cool fall morning, but once it’s below 20°F, go lined.

The Winter Work Mitten is a cowhide lobster mitten: thumb and index finger free, the other three fingers together, each in its own stitched tunnel. That layout keeps a mitten’s warmth and still lets you work a gate latch or a twine knot. A Velcro strap and a neoprene wrist seal out snow and wind, and the safety tether keeps the mitten from dropping when you climb in and out of a tractor cab.

The lined waterproof glove keeps five separate fingers. Its leather keeps moisture out, neoprene knuckles flex and take knocks, Thinsulate traps body heat, and a long cuff fits snug to block cold drafts at the wrist. Wear it for wet cold: breaking ice on a stock tank, shoveling slush.

Check the size range before the line

Style	Line	Sizes
257	Construction Gloves	XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
288	Winter Work Mitten	S to XXL
816	Waterproof Gloves (lined)	S to XXL
240	Leather Waterproof	M to XXL

Smaller hands have the most choice in the Construction Glove and the Winter Work Mitten; the Leather Waterproof fencing glove starts at medium. Fit a fencing glove snug, because loose leather at the fingertips folds over and snags on barbs. Sizes run differently from one style to another, so try a pair on before settling on your usual size.

Fine work: deerskin and the Roper knit

The deerskin glove is soft but rugged, made for grip and fine motor control on tools, and it breathes to keep hands cool and dry. Snug the strap down before your other hand is full.

The Roper glove is a fine knit with some stretch, for handling small parts and tools. It also works as a liner under heavier leather, such as the Iron Fencer on a raw fall morning.

Other Golden Stag lines

Golden Stag also makes heat-resistant gloves for welding and metalwork, an impact line with cut-resistant nitrile gloves for oil, gas and mining work, and a leather gardening glove with a stretch back and Velcro wrist for planting, pruning and weeding.

Golden Stag lines at a glance

Style	Line	Material	Built for
207	Iron Fencer	Heavy-duty leather, double palm	Barbed-wire fence
257	Construction Gloves	100% split cowhide, coffee grey with leather palm patch	Construction, barbed wire, rough lumber, forestry, loading trailers
240	Leather Waterproof	Grain cowhide palm, suede cowhide back, water resistant	Fence building, shovel work
288	Winter Work Mitten	Cowhide lobster mitten, Thinsulate lining	Winter ranch and farm work, snow shoveling
816	Waterproof Gloves	Black waterproof leather, Thinsulate lining, neoprene knuckles	Cold, wet outdoor work
2150	Deerskin Glove	Deerskin	Tool handling and precision work
9876	Roper Glove	Cotton/acrylic 13-count knit, 12-pair pack	Small parts, liner under heavier gloves

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Golden Stag gloves good for?

They’re leather work gloves made for jobs that are hard on hands: yard work, landscaping, snow shoveling, hauling hay and heavy ranch work, with leather that stands up to barbed wire, thorns and sharp objects.

Is the Golden Stag Iron Fencer a good glove for building barbed-wire fence?

Yes. It’s the heavy-duty glove in the line, and the second layer of leather on the palm sits right where wire drags when you stretch a strand. A doubled palm is stiff for the first few days, so break it in on lighter chores like setting posts before you spend a full day on wire. When the leather gets soaked, let it dry slowly away from the stove or heater, because fast heat shrinks leather and makes it hard.