The small is still too large. Wish x small was available. I use a large safety pin to cinch them up. Because it isn't a perfect fit, it's a bit of a sloppy "play", especially when ripping on a fast bluegrass song. I also play accordion on a few songs and they're easy to get on and off. Much better than putting guitar metal picks on and off.
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Washboard gloves with bottle caps
June 6, 2012
Reviewer:
Steve Litsios from Switzerland
The Good: - The gloves are comfortable and lightweight. - They seem well built and strong. - The airmesh material seems well suited to keep your hands from sweating. - The bottle caps are well attached and fit snugly on my finger tips. - The bottle caps are more interesting then expected. They offer a surprising number of sounds depending on how you angle them while playing. - They are not too loud - good for situations where a washboard could easily be overbearing. - The bottle caps are easy to remove if you don't want to have them on all your fingers.
The Less Good: - One bottle cap was attached in a way that prevented putting the glove on that finger. - With an old washboard with dry wood, the airmesh material catches all the small splinters from the wood's surface if you rub against it. I sometimes use my palm against the wood, but with no finger contact to keep my hand motion going...a bad idea with these gloves on some of my older boards. - Strangely enough (when taking into account the above comment), the airmesh can be very slippery and make it hard to simultaneously hold a nicely polished drumstick (for instance) to use on the washboard or a cymbal. (Probably not much of an issue for most people.) - The bottle caps aren't very loud. - The bottle caps are a bit clanky when it comes to hitting bells and stuff. - The edges of the bottle caps can catch each other when you play. It doesn't really get in the way or prevent good playing, but it does take some getting use to.
All in all, these are good washboard gloves and will certainly be useful to many players. I will be happy to use them when I play "just" a washboard. But I am very disappointed that they don't suit my own playing style for when I mix washboard and drum playing. For that I would need the leather to cover the inner (palm) side of the glove of my index finger; likewise my thumb and between; and would also probably want the leather to cover the rest of the thumb as well.
I looking forward to the thimble version!
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Professional Washboard Gloves
June 3, 2012
Reviewer:
Kingpckl from Michigan
As a member of a jugband I have been watching the posts on the development of these gloves for the last year hear at Bone Dry. They were worth the wait! Great tone, mellow, musical. Easy to take on and off, look great, fit well. As my band mate said "Makes the washboard easy and comfortable to play." Overall a great product, Highly Recommended!
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My Review
May 15, 2012
Reviewer:
Jim Robertson from Sweet Briar Virginia
I'm the proud new owner of a pair of Clanky Dog Bottlecap Washboard gloves, and I'd like to say a few things about them. But first, I'd like to thank Scott Miller for his hard work and dedication to the world of “folk” percussion. Ever since I stumbled on his shop a year and a half ago he has always come through in a professional and efficient manner. For example, I ordered my washboard gloves late in the evening of May 9th. When I went to the PO on May 12th, there they were—all the way from St. Louis to Virginia, and in time for a jug band gig I had that night. This is unsolicited praise. I just think Scott is doing a great job of bringing hard to find items into one place, and getting them out to folks in a timely manner.
Now on to the gloves. The packaging was sufficiently slick and professional looking. The sizing chart on the front is a good feature, and the playing instructions are probably useful to novice washboard players. The gloves appear to be well made and fit like...well—you get the idea! I did have a problem with the tip of one finger. The bottle caps are firmly, and I'm told permanently, affixed to the finger tips of the gloves. One tip was sealed shut by whatever fastening process is used in the manufacture. I tinkered around a bit, turned the finger mostly inside out, and was able to open the tip up with no harm to the glove or me.
As I mentioned, I had a gig the night I got the gloves. I am of the multi-instrument persuasion, and the ease of pulling these puppies on is a dream come true. Typically, when I switch from a stringed instrument to washboard it takes too long putting on my thimbles. Taking the glove off can be another matter entirely, however. They have a velcro closure for the back of the wrist which does a nice job of holding them on securely. But when I finished the song and went to take the gloves off I ran into a problem: the velcro flap was down flat against my wrist, and all of my finger tips had bottle caps attached so I couldn't get a grip on the flap! I was able to use my teeth, and the show went on. Subsequently, I left the edge of the flap up and that worked fine.
As far as playing goes, the gloves are very secure and comfortable. There's never any concern that a cap will peel off and fly into the audience. The flat surface of the bottle caps takes some getting used to. I typically use wooden thimbles for the mellow quality they give, and I find their convex shape gives a more defined clatter when used to rub the corrugations. Additionally, the thimbles make more of a defined ding on a cowbell and clank on a tin cup. The flat caps create a slightly higher pitched tone on the board. Both thimbles and bottle caps sound similar when tapping on the zinc. Plus, I have found that using the edge of the caps on my thumbs, with practice will give me the tin cup and cowbell sounds I like.
I like these gloves, and find them to be a welcome addition to my percussion tool box. Keep in mind, however, that I am a string player with 45+ years of playing experience first, and a bones player next before calling myself a washboard player. Having said that, however, I have played with one stellar washboard player way back in the 70s, and like him I strive to provide texture, color, and drive to the music and not drown it out with rattles, clanks, and honks. From a musical point of view, the Clanky Dog Bottlecap Washboard gloves are a great buy, and I'm looking forward to the thimble addition which Scott says might ship this Summer. Cheers, and have some fun.
Jumpin' Jimmy Robertson Garden of Joy (not the Maria Muldaur one, the Bloomington IN one from the early 90s) The Beat Roots Jug Band
Washboard gloves 
Professional Washboard Gloves 