February 8, 2009: Over the past half century, new developments in fabrics (like Kevlar and fire resistant cloth) have led to the widespread use of "tactical gloves" by infantry.  Hands are incredibly important, and very vulnerable to injury. The troops have realized that one of the many important jobs they have is to seek maximum protection for their hands.

These gloves, which cost $50-100 a pair, protect you from fire, knives (and other stuff that can cut your hand), noxious chemicals, rope burns, cold and slipperiness. Reinforcements in the knuckles protect you from hard knocks there, and the entire glove benefits from the experience of thousands of users over the decades. Once troops start using tactical gloves, they wonder how they ever got along without them. The gloves are also used by prison guards, swat teams, hunters, mountain climbers and anyone else who puts their hands in harm's way. There are many specialized models for specific jobs, or simply to satisfy individual tastes.