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Posted By: Jim Daniel

William, I think you nailed it. Although the visible differences between fielders mitts and basemitts are subtle, there's no question about it when you put one on your hand. Mark, that's a basemitt. I have a couple like that. A fielders mitt, like William said, has padding in front of and behind your hand. Your hand sort of fits in the middle. If you put it on, curled your fingertips downward, you would be able to pull the lining downward, almost out toward the opening at least on the two that I have.

The two fielders mitt ads I have show a very flat top as well. There are two in the Novelty section that I'm on the fence with. I put my hand in the dark one and it felt like a basemitt. It didn't have the type of lining we are referring to. The flat top was enough to discuss the possibility of it being a fielders mitt though. I would lean toward the side that a fielders mitt was early and would more than likely have a sewn web than a grommet web. William is right in that many sewn webs were cut out or broken and replaced with lace.

I think fielders mitts are rarer than duck webs but I think duck webs are more desirable. I believe more people would rather have a duck web because they look so different and it's the ultimate in what I call novelty gloves. I call them that because they were innovative and unique and were cool ideas at first but didn't stick for whatever reason, and thus, are very rare.

JD