It’s not what you think. The “PIG” name has nothing to do with hog hunting. In this case, it stands for Patrol Incident Gear. But in reality, when you look at the glove and what it’s made for, it’s a match made in heaven for the pig hunter. There is even an image of what looks like a wild hog on the strap. Maybe an officer hit a pig on a two lane late one night, creating a “patrol incident” and landing the hog head on the glove.
No matter, these are a dramatic departure from most gloves on the market. Designed by a Rogers Shooting School “Advanced” graduate with more than a decade of experience in instructing Military and Law Enforcement personnel, these gloves were made specifically for shooters. Well, most of us are hunters. I know the old saying, “hunters aren’t shooters and shooters aren’t hunters,” but that isn’t so true anymore. This glove is fits the new normal where shooters hunt hogs for the added challenge, and hunters shoot to hone their edges. It’s a win for both.
Whether you are hunting with a traditional bolt gun with a wood stock or a modern sporting rifle (AR-15, AK variant, etc.), the PIG glove is your friend. Heading to a pistol or carbine class? The PIG glove is still your friend. Why? Exhaustive research and development.
Not only was a shooter the primary designer, he was assisted by a sport glove designer. More than two years were logged in the development stage before the PIG gloves were brought to market. The goal: a “full dexterity” glove, minimized to protect your hands and enhance your grip while giving up only the slightest in dexterity.
In my experience, anything more than Latex gloves kills the tactile sense especially in your fingertips. The PIG gloves from SKD Tactical don’t. They aren’t designed to give you protection from massive blows through multiple layers of material. No big plastic knuckle guards for beating unruly feral hogs into submission. These are made to keep you comfortable when you are shooting a lot or handling rough objects while still maintaining sensory touch feedback.
I got myself and my brother, SHWAT™ founder Jonathan Owen, a pair of these PIG gloves for Christmas. He’s worn them running both railed and slick forearm equipped AR-15s. He’s worn them when doing a bit of filming, and could operate the controls on his camera wearing the gloves – a real test in the dexterity department. It happens that it was less than twenty degrees outside in the after dark filming, and he says they’re a lot better than nothing, but not really all great at keeping your hands warm. That’s fine. That wasn’t the designers intent.
I’ve been a bit busy lately and haven’t had the opportunity to hunt or shoot as much as I’d like to in the last few weeks. What keeps a SHWAT™ founder that busy? Moving. I only moved a mile and a half down the road, but that doesn’t change the amount of boxes it takes to pack 15 years worth of a family’s stuff. And that is how I’ve broken these gloves in.
When we shoot, we are told to do things that involve gross motor skills. Handling boxes and furniture uses lots of those. It also requires lots of fine motor skills, like handling the endless phone calls, texts, emails and such on the iPhone. Wait, you aren’t supposed to be able to use an iPhone effectively with tactical gloves on… With the high conductivity silver threads in the PIG glove’s trigger fingertips and thumbs, typing is no problem!
The secret to how well these work is in part the thickness of the fabric and the way the seams in the fingertips are cut. That combined with a fit that is, well, like a glove. Or like what a glove should be. This is the first tactical glove I’ve tried that fit as well as some premium sport gloves. SKD’s decision to use the brain power of a sport glove designer paid off.
The palm area of the gloves is thick enough to provide protection and comfort for the kinds of activities most of us that aren’t military engage in. At the same time, there is little bulk added to the palm area, so gripping a gun, magazine, rock or cardboard box is just as natural as if I were barehanded. Thickness is reduced in the trigger fingers for the extra sensitivity needed for precision shooting.
The back of the glove, constructed largely of a supple, stretchy fabric allowing freedom of movement, is equally well thought out. Added to this are reinforced flex joints that cover each bend in your fingers. Over the knuckles, is a pad made of Stretch Ballistic Nylon 1000D providing ample protection from bumps and the occasional strike. There is a nice pad on the outside edge of the glove for the same purpose that once again doesn’t impede my grip.
You get the idea, the PIG gloves are well made. How do they perform? Superbly! During my move, my hands stayed comfortable and didn’t overheat. There is little perceptible wear after two long and fast paced days of handling endless boxes and loads of furniture. Granted, moving boxes and furniture may be a bit hard on the hand but shouldn’t be too hard on a good glove.
When it comes to manipulating a firearm, in my limited testing in my home, this glove is top tier. Running through various drills was just like doing them barehanded. Just more comfortable. These gloves aren’t designed as the ultimate in durability for daily combat patrols. They are, however, tough enough for most things I will ever do.
If, like me, you are much more likely to give someone a pig sandwich than a knuckle sandwich, but you still want real protection for the inevitable bumps and scrapes that come with shooting and hunting, you will love the SKD PIG Full Dexterity (FDT) Glove Alpha Touch. With an MSRP of just $41.95 they are an excellent value.
