Your throttle hand feels every ripple. Your clutch hand sets the rhythm for every corner. Gloves aren’t static like jacket panels, they flex, breathe, grip, and spring back hundreds of times a mile. That’s why the leather that makes a brilliant jacket isn’t always the leather that makes a brilliant glove.

At Fox Creek Leather we trust full-grain cowhide for the broad abrasion-hungry panels of our jackets, vests, and chaps. But when it comes to gloves—where fingertip finesse rules—we often turn to the deer family: deerskin and elkskin. Here’s how all three hides stack up once the bike rolls.

Cowhide in a Glove — Tough by Nature, Chosen by Grade

Cowhide is the workhorse of motorcycle gear: plentiful, proven, and protective—if you select the right cut.

Cowhide grade	What it is	What it means in a glove
Full-grain	Whole top layer, un-buffed	Densest fiber structure → outstanding slide protection
Top-grain	Same layer, lightly sanded smooth	Still strong and uniform, with a small trade-off in raw toughness
Split / “genuine”	Inner suede layers	Lower tear strength—fine for yard work, not ideal for primary impact zones

A full- or top-grain cowhide glove shrugs off pavement, offers classic style, and comes at a friendly price. It does ask for a few rides to limber up. Pro tip: if a cowhide glove gets drenched, wipe it down and add a light conditioner as it air-dries so it doesn’t harden. Cowhide breathes reasonably well, but on triple-digit days a solid (non-perforated) palm can trap more heat and sweat than the naturally airier deer hides—one more reason some riders keep a pair in deerskin.

Deerskin: Where Incredible Comfort Meets Surprising Toughness

Slip on deerskin and it feels “already yours.” Long, interwoven fibers let the leather stretch across your palm yet keep fingers from bagging out, so the lever feel stays precise season after season. Deerskin also handles weather better than you’d expect. Caught in an Appalachian thunder-shower? Hang the gloves overnight and they’ll dry as supple as when you bought them—no emergency balm required.

Why riders love it

• Break-in: basically none—ride home from the shop in comfort.
• Dexterity: buttery thin yet tough, perfect for constant clutch work or touchscreen taps.

Shop the whole collection → Fox Creek Deerskin Gloves
Naturally supple, U.S.-made, in fingerless styles, classic gauntlets, and insulated waterproof options.

Elkskin — Rugged Protection with a Gentle Grip

Elkskin brings deerskin’s softness wrapped in extra muscle. At roughly 1.4 – 1.5 mm thick, it posts race-worthy abrasion numbers yet never feels like armor plate. It stays pliable beside hot pipes, shrugging off sleet on mountain passes, and—like its deer cousin—dries soft after rain.

Riders notice first

• All-weather pliability: flexible at 95 °F or 35 °F.
  
• Long-haul durability: many keep a single elk pair for seasons that would chew through two mid-price cowhides.

You trade away just a whisper of fingertip sensitivity versus deerskin, a swap most riders forget after a few miles.

Shop the whole collection → Fox Creek Elkskin Gloves
From fleece-lined gauntlets to classic riding gloves—thick, American-made, and ready for every mile.

Which Hide Fits Your Riding Style?

Riding style / need	Best-fit glove hide	Why
Budget-minded, general riding	Quality cowhide	Solid protection & classic look at a good value
Daily commuting, max dexterity & comfort	Deerskin	All-day softness, superb feel, forgives surprise showers
Long-distance touring, ADV, rugged mileage	Elkskin	Built-in abrasion headroom and all-weather pliability

Pair a full-grain Fox Creek jacket with deerskin or elkskin gloves—the jacket handles big-slide forces, the gloves deliver precision comfort.

Ready to Feel the Difference?

Visit our store in the Blue Ridge Mountains and feel each hide side-by-side. Slip on a pair, work the fingers, and you’ll know in seconds which leather belongs on your bars.

Can’t make the trip? Browse our Deerskin Gloves and Elkskin Gloves collections online, then call 1-800-766-4165 if you’d like sizing help, care advice, or just a rider-to-rider chat.

Ride safe, ride often, and let the right leather keep the miles easy on your hands.