Kip vs Steerhide Baseball Glove | Which One’s Better?

Choosing a new baseball glove for a fresh new season often comes with a lot of predicaments. Take me, for instance. I am not exactly known for how much I take care of my gloves. Usually, at the end of a game, I just give them a wipe and toss them in the locker until the next game or practice. So naturally, my gloves wear out sooner than most.

So last year, I wanted a glove that could survive my abuse for at least the next few seasons. My choice came down to either a Kip leather glove or a steerhide glove. Both were solid picks, but the question remained: Kip vs steerhide baseball glove, which one is actually more deserving of my money?

Well, I ended up going with Kip leather. But while I was doing my research, I had to dive deep into what each leather type offers, how they hold up over a full season, and which players tend to reach for each one. So if you’re stuck with the same dilemma, let me lend you a hand.

Kip vs Steerhide Baseball Glove Overview

Both Kip and steerhide leather are considered premium materials for making baseball or softball gloves. So if your glove is made of either material, you probably spent a fair amount to get it.

Now if you ask me, I will choose Kip over steerhide any day of the year. But then again, Kip leather baseball gloves are not as easily available nor as affordable as steerhide gloves. The chart above should already give you a basic idea of the key differences between Kip and steerhide. So let’s take things further, and I’ll give you a thorough rundown of the two materials.

What is Kip Leather for Baseball Gloves

Kip leather is all the rage these days, both among manufacturers and players. Unlike cowhide or steerhide leather, where manufacturers use adult animals, Kip leather is made using young cows aged anywhere between six months and a year.

Since the animal is so young, the resulting leather is lighter, softer, and thinner compared to cowhide or steerhide. Steerhide leather is usually considered the premium standard for glove leather, but Kip leather can actually feel smoother and more buttery in the hand than most steerhide.

Because of the softness of this leather, gloves made from it require very minimal break-in. In fact, if you buy a high-end Kip leather baseball glove, you might be able to start playing with it right away without much break-in at all. Of course, this is not always the case, so go with what feels right for your hand.

The best part about Kip leather is that, while it’s considered a softer and more luxurious version of cowhide leather, it isn’t as expensive as you’d think. It’s not cheap, sure, but compared to some of the top-shelf steerhide baseball gloves out there, Kip gloves are actually pretty reasonable.

If you want a closer look at specific gloves and picks made from this leather, I’ve put together a separate breakdown of my favorite Kip leather baseball gloves worth your money.

Japanese Kip Leather

If you want the true experience of Kip leather gloves, look for gloves made with Japanese Kip leather instead of American Kip. Those are pricier, sure, but they’re the preferred choice for a lot of professional players because the tannage tends to be tighter and more consistent.

Typically, if you want Japanese Kip leather gloves, you’ll have to place a custom order or hunt for a limited release. Japanese Kip leather gloves are pretty rare, and manufacturers only produce a limited quantity because of their price and the tighter supply of hides.

More and more manufacturers are switching to Kip leather for their gloves these days because of how well it performs and how durable it is for something so light. It holds up noticeably better than cowhide, and it comes close to matching steerhide on long-term toughness while weighing a lot less on your hand.

What is Steerhide for Baseball Gloves

Steerhide is another premium quality leather used in manufacturing baseball and softball gloves. While Kip comes from young calves, steerhide is made using a male cow’s hide aged over two years. It has a consistent grain, and its weight is fairly even throughout the hide.

Steerhide leather typically has a subtle glossy finish, a result of the resins and natural oils used in the tanning process. If you follow the pros, you already know that a lot of MLB players still lean toward steerhide, especially names built around lines like Rawlings Heart of the Hide and Wilson’s A2000 series, both of which are built on steerhide.

The main advantage of steerhide leather is that it’s stronger and holds up longer than cowhide. If you buy a steerhide leather glove, you can expect it to stick with you for several seasons if you treat it right.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to this leather type. First, steerhide is heavy. It’s fair to call it the heaviest leather of the bunch.

On top of that, breaking in a new steerhide baseball glove can take a long time. So you’ll need to wait a while before your fresh steerhide glove is game-ready. There are ways to cut down the break-in time, of course. For instance, you can use a mallet to speed up the process.

Steerhide gloves also look pretty sharp because of that natural, grainy, glossy finish. The leather is stiffer to start, but it’s still a popular choice among pros and serious infielders and pitchers because of how reliable and long-lasting it is once it’s broken in.

Is Kip Leather Good for Baseball Gloves?

Yes, Kip leather is a fantastic choice for top-tier baseball gloves. But since it’s expensive and relatively hard to find, most people usually go with steerhide gloves instead. If you manage to track down or custom order a Kip leather glove, though, it might be one of the best investments you make in your baseball career.

Is Kip Leather Better than Steerhide?

Truth be told, a lot of players consider Kip leather the better all-around choice, especially middle infielders and outfielders who want quick hands and a light glove. Since Kip takes very little time and effort to break in, you can start playing with it almost as soon as you buy it. And because it’s lighter, it’s also a lot more comfortable to wear for a full game compared to steerhide.

That said, steerhide still has the edge in raw, long-term toughness, which is part of why you’ll see so many pitchers, catchers, and corner infielders stick with it. If pure durability under heavy daily use is your top priority, steerhide is still the safer bet. If hand speed, feel, and a short break-in matter more to you, Kip is hard to beat.

What is the Best Leather for Baseball Gloves?

The common consensus is that Kip leather is the more sought-after choice, but don’t count out steerhide leather before you try it yourself. Both materials are excellent and well worth the price they ask, honestly.

Kip is great, but it’s pretty expensive, especially if you’re going with Japanese Kip. And because it’s so rare, going with steerhide sometimes saves you a lot of hassle and searching.

The only real issue I ever had with steerhide gloves was the long break-in time. Some people don’t mind that at all. The weight might feel like a lot at first too, but you’ll get used to it soon enough. Plenty of pros in the MLB still use steerhide gloves, and that alone tells you how good these gloves really are.

Hopefully, this in-depth look at the differences between Kip and steerhide baseball gloves helps you figure out where you want to put your money. Cheers!

Tyler Wells

With 4 years of Division II experience, a .272 career batting average, .410 on-base percentage, and 7 home runs, I’m now in my fifth season. I’ve played baseball since age 3, alongside future MLB Draft picks, and I aim to pursue a career in baseball professionally, be it playing, coaching, or scouting.