Glove Forge

Glove Forge Glove Forge specializes in glove break-ins, cleaning, and relacing—giving players game-ready leather they can trust.

Founded by a dad of five with kids in the game, every glove is treated like it’s our own.

Tell all your catcher people!!FRESH FROM JAPAN 🇯🇵Another piece of Japanese glove craftsmanship has landed at Glove Forge...
08/28/2026

Tell all your catcher people!!

FRESH FROM JAPAN 🇯🇵

Another piece of Japanese glove craftsmanship has landed at Glove Forge, and this one is an absolute beauty.

🥎 Wilson Wannabe Hero Softball Catcher’s Mitt
🇯🇵 Made in Japan
🔢 WBW101266 / SWW3SZ
✋ Right-Hand Throw
⚫ Black Performance Leather MT
🟤 Brown lace
🔴 Red contrast stitching
🟡 Gold Wilson embroidery
🏷️ New with original Japanese tags

This isn’t your typical Wilson you’re going to pull off the shelf at a local sporting-goods store. The Japanese-market Wannabe Hero line brings its own personality, and this catcher’s mitt has it in spades.

The black leather, deep brown lace, red stitching and gold Wilson patch give it a killer understated look—but the details are where this glove really shines. The tag identifies it specifically as a softball catcher’s mitt, and the palm carries the “The Wannabe Hero” stamp.

This one came to the Forge brand new, so we get to build the pocket and shape it from scratch rather than trying to undo somebody else’s break-in.

The goal: deep softball pocket, strong hinges, clean closure, and enough structure left in the mitt to hold its shape.

Time to see what this Japanese Wilson can become. Keep an eye out for the finished post I will be listing it for sale!
🔨🔥🥎

GLOVE FORGE

Forged for the Field.

🔥 FOR SALE — HI-GOLD PROFESSIONAL ORDER | JAPAN 🇯🇵 🔥This one is for somebody looking for something you’re not going to s...
08/12/2026

🔥 FOR SALE — HI-GOLD PROFESSIONAL ORDER | JAPAN 🇯🇵 🔥

This one is for somebody looking for something you’re not going to see in every dugout.

Hi-Gold Professional Order Japanese baseball glove, professionally broken in and shaped by Glove Forge — Forged for the Field.

⚾ 11.75" RHT
🇯🇵 Japanese-market Hi-Gold Professional Order
🥩 Premium steerhide construction
🕸️ Modified/open web design
🟤 Natural/tan leather with subtle metallic accents
✋ Professionally shaped & broken in
✔️ New Old Stock (NOS) / no original tags

THE BREAK-IN

This wasn't smashed flat, steamed into submission, or turned into a floppy pancake.

The goal was to preserve what makes a quality Japanese glove special while creating a deep, usable American-style pocket.

✔️ Deep, centered pocket
✔️ Defined thumb and middle/ring hinges
✔️ Strong heel structure
✔️ Finger stalls remain straight and structured
✔️ Clean closure around the ball
✔️ Leather and factory shape preserved
✔️ Ready to finish forming to its new owner's hand

The pictures tell the story. Look at the top-down ball shots — the ball sits down inside the pocket while the fingers and heel maintain their structure. That's exactly what I want out of a Glove Forge break-in.

WHY THIS GLOVE?

Hi-Gold doesn't have the name recognition in the U.S. of Rawlings or Wilson, and that's part of what makes this one cool. Hi-Gold has a long history in the Japanese glove market, and its higher-end gloves offer the craftsmanship and attention to detail that make Japanese gloves so interesting to collectors and players.

This isn't something I bought off the shelf at Dick's and broke in.

It's a unique Japanese glove that I've personally researched, inspected, shaped, and prepared for the field.

CONDITION: New/unused other than the professional break-in process. No previous player use to my knowledge.

💰 $275 shipped / $250 local

📍 [Greencastle, IN]

More pictures available. Serious buyers are welcome to message me with questions.

🔨 GLOVE FORGE
Forged for the Field.

Break-in isn't about softening a glove. It's about making it work.

🔥 From Flat to Field-Ready 🔥This SSK came to Glove Forge nearly untouched, with a flat shape, an undeveloped pocket, and...
08/07/2026

🔥 From Flat to Field-Ready 🔥

This SSK came to Glove Forge nearly untouched, with a flat shape, an undeveloped pocket, and no established closing path.

The goal was not to simply soften the leather. This glove needed to be properly shaped from the ground up.

I worked the hinge points, formed a deeper and more functional pocket, shaped the fingers, and created a natural closing path around the baseball. The original tan laces were also replaced with black laces, giving the glove a much sharper look while reinforcing the structure throughout.

The transformation:

⚾ Flat, undefined pocket → deep and secure pocket
⚾ Wide, awkward shape → controlled natural closure
⚾ Unformed fingers → structured finger stalls
⚾ Original tan lace → bold black relace
⚾ Shelf-stiff feel → field-ready performance

The finished glove now wraps around the ball instead of folding underneath it. It closes smoothly, holds the baseball securely, and still maintains the finger and heel structure needed for dependable play.

Not just softer. Better shaped. Better closing. Better performing.

🔥 Forged for the Field. 🔥

📩 Message Glove Forge for professional break-ins, cleaning, conditioning, relacing, shaping, and custom pocket work.

🔥 Fresh Out of the Forge 🔥This Rawlings Heart of the Hide Wing Tip came in for a controlled, position-specific break-in—...
08/07/2026

🔥 Fresh Out of the Forge 🔥

This Rawlings Heart of the Hide Wing Tip came in for a controlled, position-specific break-in—and this one turned out clean.

The goal was to create a glove that closes naturally around the baseball while maintaining the structure, shape and character that make this model stand out. Instead of crushing the glove flat, we worked the proper hinge points, developed a defined pocket, and shaped the fingers to help guide the ball securely into the glove.

⚾ Rawlings Heart of the Hide
⚾ PRO204W-7CTC
⚾ 11.5-inch infield pattern
⚾ Defined pocket with a controlled thumb-to-middle closure
⚾ Firm fingers and preserved heel structure
⚾ Game-ready feel without making the glove floppy

The finished pocket holds the baseball securely, while the glove still maintains enough structure for quick transfers and dependable infield play. The tan, camel, and white Wing Tip combination looks even better once the glove begins taking its final shape.

A proper break-in should not simply make a glove soft—it should make the glove work the way the player needs it to work.

Forged for the Field.
,

🔥 New Project on the Bench 🔥Just landed this Rawlings Japan HOH Pro Excel Wizard #02 (11.75” Pitcher Model | RHT).These...
07/25/2026

🔥 New Project on the Bench 🔥

Just landed this Rawlings Japan HOH Pro Excel Wizard #02 (11.75” Pitcher Model | RHT).

These Japan-market Wizard gloves have become some of my favorites to work on. Lightweight, premium leather, unique Wizard back design, and a ton of potential once they’re broken in. The Wizard series is designed to increase hand mobility and promote a quicker, smoother close while maintaining stability.

This one is starting out factory stiff, but not for long.

Over the next few days it’ll be getting the full Glove Forge treatment:
⚒️ Complete break-in
⚒️ Pocket shaping
⚒️ Hinge work
⚒️ Conditioning
⚒️ Ready-to-game finish

Can’t wait to see how this one turns out. Stay tuned for the finished product. 👊

Another one forged and gone. 🔥Picked up this Rawlings Japan HOH Pro Excel Wizard #02 (GR4HW2A15MG), gave it the full tr...
07/25/2026

Another one forged and gone. 🔥

Picked up this Rawlings Japan HOH Pro Excel Wizard #02 (GR4HW2A15MG), gave it the full treatment, and turned it into a game-ready glove for its next owner. This Japan-market Wizard features an 11.75” pattern with Rawlings’ Wizard back design, built for a smooth, quick close and excellent control.

This one received:
⚾️ Full break-in and pocket shaping
⚾️ Conditioned leather
⚾️ Formed a deep, thumb-to-ring finger pocket
⚾️ Ready for the field right out of the box

There’s nothing better than taking a stiff glove, bringing it to life, and sending it off to someone who’s going to put it to work.

On to the next project. 👊

07/14/2026

Should have done an unboxing but I was too excited to get it out and start working on it. This caught my eye so I picked it up to work on.

11.75” Rawlings HoH Pro Excel Wizard #2

Batch #2 is in the books! 🔥🧤We’re continuing to fine-tune both our Glove Forge Cleaner and Forge Balm, dialing in the f...
07/05/2026

Batch #2 is in the books! 🔥🧤

We’re continuing to fine-tune both our Glove Forge Cleaner and Forge Balm, dialing in the formulas and testing new scent options.

So far, we’re extremely happy with the results.

Forge Balm goes on light, absorbs quickly, conditions the leather without leaving it greasy, and won’t add noticeable weight to your glove.

Glove Forge Cleaner is doing exactly what we hoped—lifting dirt and grime while leaving behind a fresh scent that makes you actually want to clean your glove.

Current scent lineup we’re testing:
🧴 Dugout Fresh (Tea Tree)
🍊 Hannibal’s Cut – Cereal Killer
⚡ T-Bird’s Cut – War Ready
🤎 Dugout Fresh Unscented (with Mink Oil)

Every batch gets us a little closer to the final product. We’re not rushing it—we want to build something we’d trust on our own game gloves.

If you’d be interested in becoming a beta tester or have a scent you’d love to see, let us know in the comments!

Forged for the Field. 🔨🥎⚾

Special thanks to Pamela Munson for all the hard work she has put into helping me on this journey.

Super fun little project finished just in time!
07/03/2026

Super fun little project finished just in time!

Customization and break-in of a new SSK FP5 catchers mitt. Before and After
06/24/2026

Customization and break-in of a new SSK FP5 catchers mitt. Before and After

Address

Greencastle, IN
46135

Telephone

+17025691388

Website

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