One other type of glove no one has yet mentioned are the nylon ones.
They are generally less expensive than cotton; we find them more
dexterous than cotton because they are thinner and fit closer to the
hand; and they do not stretch.  Because they are made from nylon filament
rather than spun staple
(short) cotton fiber, they do not leave little cotton fibers on the
objects.  Our collection is primarily textile; the nylon gloves may be
somewhat slippery with certain materials (metals, etc) and therefore
may not be appropriate for certain objects.

On Tue, 7 May 1996, David Harvey wrote:

> Just a note about using non-cotton gloves (ie., "plastic gloves")
>
> Some people have serious reactions to latex gloves which can range from
> simple skin irritation to full-blown reactions on a par with bee-stings.  Be
> really careful if you issue latex and warn volunteers to discontinue use at
> the first sign of discomfort or skin reaction.  The other type of non-cotton
> glove is vinyl.  These work well although you have to be aware that they
> often have a fine white gloving powder on them (talc) which can get smeared
> all over an artifact if someone is oblivious to the presence of the powder.
>  It pays to make it an habitual practice to wipe off these gloves when you
> first don them before handling an object.
>
> If you are wearing non-cotton gloves for a period of time you will tend to
> sweat within these gloves (they don't breathe) and this can lead to mild
> dermetitis.  In this instance, if touch-sensitivity isn't a concern, you can
> wear cotton gloves inside of the vinyl or latex, which makes the process much
> more comfortable.
>
> Dave
>
> David Harvey
> Conservator of Metals & Arms
> Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
> P.O. Box 1776
> Williamsburg, Virginia  23187-1776  USA
> voice:     804-220-7039
> e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
>