Cut-resistant gloves
A layer of tough knit between the edge and your fingers.
A mandoline, a carving knife, a utility blade, the edge of a sheet of metal or a pane of glass: the cuts that hurt are the ones where a sharp edge slides across your hand. The maker lists the yarn as HPPE, a high-strength polyethylene used in cut-resistant gloves, rates them cut level 5 under EN 388 and prints that on the cuff tag.
HPPE knit
Thin enough to feel what you're holding
Cut level 5
The maker's EN 388 rating, on the tag
Machine washable
Per the maker's listing
Sizes S to XXL
One pair per order
Read this first: cut-resistant is not cut-proof.
The knit slows a smooth blade that slides across it. Don't count on it against a point. A knife tip, a needle, a nail, a glass splinter or a fish hook can push through the gaps between the yarns, and a serrated knife or a saw can tear it.
It is no protection around power tools either. Never wear knit gloves near a spinning blade, bit, belt or lathe: a knit glove snags easily and can pull your hand in.
What the rating means
Level 5 on the tag, and where that number comes from
EN 388 is the European standard for gloves that protect against mechanical risks. A full EN 388 marking prints four to six scores under its shield symbol, and the 2016 edition adds an A-to-F cut grade. This tag shows the shield and the words “cut level 5” and nothing more, so we can't tell which test the 5 comes from. The likeliest reading is the blade test scored 1 to 5, which would put it at the top of that scale.
The maker has not sent us the test report, and the gloves carry no ANSI/ISEA 105 cut level (the A1 to A9 scale used in the US), so read it as the maker's rating, not a match for a US-rated glove.
The maker's photos show a gloved hand holding a knife by its blade. That's a staged photo, not a cut test, and not a way to handle knives.
The glove itself
A thin knit with a stretch cuff
Each glove is knitted from gray HPPE yarn, with a darker hem at the cuff and a sewn-in tag carrying the rating. The knit stretches to your hand, so it sits close around the fingers instead of bunching, and the maker says it leaves enough dexterity for precise work.
It breathes, which you'll notice on a long prep shift. That is also why water and juices go straight through it: the knit is not waterproof, and it has no grip coating.
Where they help
Slicing jobs, where the edge moves across your hand
Wear one on the hand that holds the work, or a pair when both hands are near an edge.
In the kitchen
Mandolines and graters, peeling, carving and filleting with a smooth blade. Keep using the mandoline's hand guard; the glove is a second layer, not a replacement.
At the bench
Whittling and wood carving, utility-knife work, cutting carpet, foam or drywall. Knives and blades only: no saws, hand or powered, and nothing that spins.
Around sharp edges
Sheet metal and ductwork, glass, tile and trim with a fresh cut edge. The knit has no grip coating, so it can slip on smooth glass or oily metal, and splinters and shards with a point can still get through.
Sizes
Measure your palm, then pick a size
The maker gives two sets of figures: a size chart (A and B in the picture) and a glove length in the listing. They don't line up exactly, so we print both. The chart is drawn on a glove and doesn't say whether A and B mean your hand or the glove laid flat; A matches the listing's glove lengths, so we read both as the glove.
| Size |
B: palm width (glove) |
A: cuff to fingertip (glove) |
Glove length (listing) |
| S |
3–3.5 in |
8–8.5 in |
20 cm / 7.9 in |
| M |
3.5–4 in |
8.5–9 in |
22 cm / 8.7 in |
| L |
4–4.5 in |
9–9.5 in |
24 cm / 9.4 in |
| XL |
4.5–5 in |
9.5–10 in |
26 cm / 10.2 in |
| XXL |
not given |
not given |
28 cm / 11 in |
To choose, lay a knit glove that fits you flat and measure across the palm just below the fingers, then match it to B. Between two sizes, take the smaller: the knit stretches, and loose fingertips are more likely to catch on a blade. The maker's chart stops at XL; for XXL the listing gives only the glove length.
Care
The maker's listing says machine washable and nothing more. We'd wash them warm, skip the bleach and let them air dry. Rinse off food and grit after each use, and wash them properly after raw meat, fish or poultry, because anything left in the knit will still be there next time. Check them before each use and replace the pair once you find a hole, a thin patch or a cut in the knit.
With food
The maker calls them food safe; we haven't seen a food-contact certificate. For food that won't be cooked afterward, like salad vegetables on a mandoline, the FDA Food Code has restaurants cover a knit cut glove with a single-use glove. It's a good habit at home too, and over raw meat and fish it keeps juices out of the knit.
Straight answers
Five things we'd rather you knew now
It resists cuts; it doesn't make you cut-proof. A serrated knife, a saw or a hard, sawing stroke can still get through, and a blade that doesn't cut can still bruise.
Don't count on it against points. The maker's listing mentions puncture resistance, but the tag shows no puncture score, and a knife tip, needle, nail, hook or splinter can push between the yarns of a knit. If puncture is the risk, you need a glove rated for it.
Not for power tools. Don't wear these near spinning blades, bits or belts: a knit glove snags easily, a caught glove pulls the hand in, and no cut rating stops a powered blade.
Not for heat. The yarn softens at temperatures a hot pan or an oven rack easily reaches, so don't use them as an oven mitt or near a flame.
Level 5 is the maker's rating. We have not seen the EN 388 test report, and there is no ANSI/ISEA 105 rating, so we can't compare it with US-rated gloves.
The specifics
Sizes and figures
Material
HPPE knit (high-performance polyethylene). The maker lists HPPE only and publishes no fiber blend
Cut rating
“Cut level 5” with the EN 388 shield on the cuff tag, the maker's rating. No full EN 388 code, no A–F cut grade, no ANSI/ISEA 105 rating
Not rated for
Puncture, heat, chemicals or electrical work. The maker's listing mentions puncture resistance but publishes no score for it or the others
Sizes
S, M, L, XL, XXL (see the size table)
Color
Gray, with a darker hem at the cuff
Weight
About 80 g / 2.8 oz per pair (the listed shipping weight)
Care
Machine washable, per the maker's listing
In the package
1 pair (2 gloves) in the size you choose
Questions people ask
Before you order
Is it one glove or a pair?
A pair: two gloves in the size you pick.
Which size should I order?
Lay a knit glove that fits you flat, measure across the palm just below the fingers and match it to B in the size table. The maker's chart doesn't say whether B is a hand or a glove measurement, so use it as a guide. Between two sizes, take the smaller: the knit stretches, and loose fingertips are more likely to catch on a blade.
Can I use them with a mandoline?
Yes, that's one of the jobs they suit best, because the blade slices across the glove rather than stabbing into it. Keep using the mandoline's hand guard as well, and get a close fit, since a loose fingertip can catch on the blade.
Are they good for shucking oysters?
They help against the shell's sharp edges and a knife that slides across your hand, but they won't reliably stop the tip if it slips and drives into your palm, which is the usual shucking injury. Hold the oyster in a folded towel as well, or use a glove rated for puncture.
Can I wear them with a power tool?
No. Around anything that spins (saws, drills, grinders, lathes) a knit glove can snag and pull your hand in, and it won't stop a powered blade. These are for knives, blades and sharp edges.
Do they keep water out?
No. The knit breathes, so water, oil and juices go straight through. For wet work, wear a thin waterproof glove over or under them.
How do I clean them?
The maker says only that they're machine washable. We'd wash them warm, skip the bleach and let them air dry.
Shipping & returns
Delivery in 7–15 business days from the time you order. That window already includes the 1–2 business days we take to process. Tracking is emailed as soon as the carrier scans the parcel. Shipping & Delivery.
30-day returns. Items must be unused and in their original packaging. Email support@nexuratool.com to start a return.
Nexura Tools
Repair, hand and utility tools, chosen for specs we can verify.
