Glove Review: Held’s “Steve 2” Hot

Sometimes a company’s name fits its product perfectly. The German glove company, Held, is just such a match.  However, how appropriate the company's name is to the English-speaking consumer base is purely coincidence.  In the 1940s, German glove-maker Edgar Held started the line of high quality motorcycle gloves.  Over the 70 years the company has making gloves, Held has built a reputation that is second to none.

The Held glove offering called the Steve 2 is a high-quality, basic riding glove. Like all of Held’s gloves, fit and finish, are top notch.  It is a sport-touring glove, so it lacks some of the armor inherent in pure race gloves. The Steve 2 is constructed of ultra-premium materials. The palm is colorfast and sweat-resistant kangaroo leather, which the company claims to be 80% more abrasion-resistant than the more commonly-used cowhide. Held incorporates a special seam construction which is substantially more comfortable than conventional glove seams. There is reflex and carbon protection at the wrist as well as special coated rivets in key areas. The glove's specially treated leather back is said to be shrink-proof, windproof, waterproof, and breathable. Riders who have ridden in the rain report that this glove is quite waterproof, even though it is not advertised as a rain glove.

Held gloves are a high quality product, and they don’t come cheap. However, hand comfort and protection is a priority in motorcycling. The Steve 2 glove is a great sport-touring option.  Retail is about $160.