More Free Stuff
Here is the second installment of my Salming reviews. As noted in the previous review, ( Salming F1 Skates) the Salming rep was kind enough to provide me with some gear to review. My main worry in this (which was probably his main worry as well) was that I wouldn't like the gear and would have to write a negative review on gear that I got for free.

Once again this wasn't a problem. The gloves are excellent and I'm glad to report that my objectivity is still intact. Really, I wouldn't lie to you. I'm a really good guy (I'm also pretty objective on that).

Meeting the Gloves
The first thing that I noticed upon meeting the gloves was that while they were perfectly happy to shake my hand, they didn't speak very much. In fact they were downright quiet. In retrospect, it is a good thing that they never said a word to me. I would have found myself defending my sanity rather than my objectivity in the preceding section.

The appearance of the Salming mitts is pretty nice. These are predominately silver in color with black and royal blue accents. The fingers are essentially of the two-piece variety, although a separate block for each knuckle could be construed as a three-piece finger.

The first thing that I noticed however was the size. These are some big gloves. The cuff is very long providing for substantial wrist coverage and eliminating any possible need for wrist guards (as it should be, wrist guards are superfluous coverage for people who bought the wrong size gear).

They appear in every way to be an excellent glove at first glance. They do only come in the one color scheme which might be a negative to some shoppers. Personally I don't care what color my gloves are as long as they aren't pansy colors. These will do just fine.

Trying Them On
When I first tried them on I wasn't sure what to think. The middle finger of each glove had been bent while in the packaging and didn't want to unbend to allow my fingers in. I was slightly worried for a moment that they had accidentally sewn the middle finger shut. Having sold a lot of hockey gear over the years, stranger things have happened.

Once I straightened out the finger I was pleasantly surprised. These babies were like butter. The only issue was that once again, the gloves are big!

I wear a size 15" glove typically. I've always had big hands, and you know what they say about guys with big hands . . . they wear big gloves. The only glove that I ever found which fit me in a smaller than size 15" is Oakley's 14.5" Mace (which is a huge glove). The Salming 15" glove is comparable in sizing scale to the Oakley. It is actually a hair on the long side for me.

Materials and Construction
The backs of the PG1 are synthetic leather. This appears to be of a reasonably high grade. I would expect these to last for several seasons under the harshest of conditions. The craftsmanship in constructing these gloves is outstanding as well. An exhaustive inspection of the stitch-work found one stitch slightly out of place resulting in a infinitesimally small cosmetic blemish that took me twelve mind numbing hours to locate.

The palm is nash with a large reinforced area. Nash is one of the better materials used in hockey palms. Only Clarino is considered a better material for comfort and durability. With what is essentially a double palm in the PG1, there isn't much concern that these will last.

The remainder of the glove is lined in a blue, almost terrycloth soft material. This gives the entire glove a very plush feel. The material is also treated with an anti-microbial to keep the gloves smelling fresh a little longer. Of course my gear never stinks since I sweat pure grain alcohol.

Comfort and Break In
The initial shape of the PG1 is pretty good. I've found that some gloves tend to contort my fingers into un-natural positions creating immediate discomfort. The PG1 has a natural, relaxed curve to the fingers.

Break in is negligible. Unlike most one-piece fingered gloves, the PG1 is a game ready pair of gloves. I found myself able to play without a thought to the fact that I had new gloves on. If anything, I found myself shooting a little better the first time I used them.

I've put about 4 hours on the gloves and the only complaint that I have is they tend to fall off a little easier than my old gloves did. While I don't like losing gloves in the game, I would chalk this up to the fact that the PG1 is a much larger glove than my old pair was. Perhaps a 14" glove would stay on a little better.

A Pocket?!
There is a mysterious piece of Velcro that attaches the back of the glove to the wrist cuff. At first glance I thought that perhaps the cuff of the glove was removable or adjustable. However this is not the case. The Velcro doesn't seem to do anything.

A little further examination revealed that there is a thin pocket behind the Velcro. Locker rooms being a notorious place to lose any money you left in your wallet, the pocket is perfect for stashing a few bills in. I'm not sure if this was an intentional part of the design, but it is actually a stroke of brilliance. The pocket is even between two thick pads so you won't end up with sloppy, hockey sweat laden money at the end of a hard skate.

Final Thoughts
The MSRP of the PG1 is $86.90. Typically retailers will sell for less than MSRP just so you are aware. I would guess a typical street price of $70 to $80 on these. This puts the PG1 on the low end of glove pricing. However, my feeling is that they are in the middle to upper level of quality and comfort. The gloves that the PG1 will be competing with are going to be in the $90 to $100 range.

The bottom line, as with any other piece of gear, is comfort. While the PG1 is comfortable for me, you might not find that the shape of the glove works as well for your hand. Or you might be looking for a pair of neon yellow gloves, who knows. My recommendation is the PG1 is an excellent glove for all levels of recreational players and competitive players through the junior hockey level. If the glove fits, this is a good choice at a fraction of the competition's price.

Oh yeah, in answer to the question posed by the title - no

Other Relevant Reviews
Fitting and Selecting Hockey Protective Gear

Oakley Mace Gloves
CCM 852 Gloves

Recommended: Yes