Bison Denim S169 men's leather gloves test

Back to the Bison Denim S169, just because a Chinese brand is unknown in Europe doesn't mean it's bad.

A few years ago, this was also the case with the Li-Ning, Peak, Anta and 361 Degree brands. These are now offered for HUF 30-40, I saw the latter in Running Word magazine, who doesn't believe me check prices here. So I did a little investigating and the Gours, the Woyuouya, the Hetango, but especially the bison denim brand seemed cheeky. They sell gloves made of genuine leather, in many cases you get them boxed, but in the spirit of cheapening mine just came in a transparent case, so the delivery can be free. They will give you a ticket with all the important data - external and internal material use, size, serial number!, production date, quality control, etc. - it's on. This surprised me because I have only seen this in European brands so far, but it strengthens my faith in the brand.

I did a quick search for the Bison Denim S169 leather glove series - exact S/N: S169-1B-M - and hey, hey, they sell it for 60-70 USD too,

roughly the same price as leather gloves at home. Just in short It's called S169, you can still find it. It is available in four colors, black, gray and two types of brown, but you can also choose between the cuts.

As far as the quality of the product is concerned, it is practically the same as those available at home.

Perhaps the stitching is a little less beautiful, but I really had to look for mistakes, and since the leg is elastic, the material jumps up by default to close better on the wrist, so it's not that easy to determine. Of course, time will decide how long these will last, but they won't be worse than the domestic competition. I love the scent of Bison Denim S169, and basically lamb's skin - on the other hand, I hate pig's skin - and my new Pécs gloves had the same evaporation of grease at the time. It is interesting that the worn-out words "genuine leather" are not used anywhere, there is no small leather pattern, as was the case on leather jackets at the time, but it is still evident that the stuff is of high quality.

Instead, the term "sheepskin" can be read on its label, which is actually the standard material for gloves.

This is the softer one, usually a piece with a brighter surface treatment, in return, it is more fragile than deerskin, which, according to my experience, is more resistant to impacts. I rarely, but usually, see pigskin gloves - last year, for example. was in Aldi - but I was not convinced by its handling, its appearance, nor its smell. Regarding S169 there's only one thing i don't like and that's the cut at the end of the thumb, where the gloves are a little tight for my fingers. But based on my previous experience, it will expand a bit over time and the material will round out nicely.

As with any garment, accessory or shoe, sizing is usually the biggest fear.

Bison Denim S169 is at the forefront of this as well. They help with several tables, but also show the sizes on the glove ticket, which in this case 250 × 210 mm. In Europe we are used to that with a single letter – S, M, L etc. - they indicate how much, and in the case of certain products - e.g. ski gloves - one number scale are used. M roughly corresponds to size 8,5-9,5, this is roughly a marking for a man 170-175 cm tall, weighing 70-80 kilograms, with an average hand size. But, it's much better if you measure the width or circumference of your palms at the ring fingers. Because this shows quite a large standard deviation, and because of this the size can be messed up. Fortunately, I was aware of mine, so

the M Bison Denim S169 leather glove fits my hand perfectly.

If it's a little tight, it's not a problem anyway, because the material expands over time, my Pécs gloves are now roughly two sizes bigger than they were. Which is the regarding its ability to retain heat, it is perfectly fine at 2-5 degrees Celsius, it's true, I only used it in the city, but it keeps my hands warm, but e.g. 8-10 degrees already felt like a lot. I would not choose this for more serious winter sports, but perfect for everyday walking.

Secret tip for the end: there are countless leather gloves for ladies too, but this is not the real sleeper theme, but the car leather gloves used for driving, which are priced sky high at home. On the other hand, these are also available in Alin for around HUF 10, for example: one half open sheepskin, egy two-color piece, and I've only scratched the surface.