Wilson A2K

[baseballer6]

Since no one is responding to my post in the amature baseball section of this site I thought I'd post it in this section. I'm looking for a new 11.75" thirdbasemans glove and the Wilson A2k looks nice and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it and could give me some feedback. Supposedly the catcher's mitt is nice but what about the normal gloves. How do the A2k's compare to other gloves is basically my question.

[Paulypal]

Since no one is responding to my post in the amature baseball section of this site I thought I'd post it in this section. I'm looking for a new 11.75" thirdbasemans glove and the Wilson A2k looks nice and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it and could give me some feedback. Supposedly the catcher's mitt is nice but what about the normal gloves. How do the A2k's compare to other gloves is basically my question.

I have two gloves in my bag right now..both Rawlings..one is a Pro-Preferred, the other is a Primo. I love both of them.

I had and A2k and didnt like it. Returned it. I thought the leather was too soft. I could see it getting too mushy over time. Why the retail price is $30-$40 more than the Pro-Preferreds is beyond me.

Just my opinion, but there it is.

[Stealth]

I stand by Nokona gloves - and there made in the USA.

[Bobby25]

I think it comes down to personal preference, I prefer a stiff glove so I have a custom made heart of the hide Rawlings.

[scrface744]

my brother has the a2k david wright model....its very nice.....it is very soft leather but is not floppy....you still need to break it in a little so youll probably need to work on opening the glove a little wider....but i highly recommend that glove

[Kupuna]

The DW5 is a great 3d baseman's glove. Pocket side is soft leather the back of the glove is made with stiffer leather.

[Hartattack52]

Hey paulypal, what is your primo like, because i'm going to get one in the next couple of weeks.

[StraightGrain11]

The DW5 looks like a great glove (if you like Wilsons - I don't, they just don't fit my hand right, not complaining about the QUALITY, though), but do you realize it is a 12" glove and not an 11.75"?? Maybe you're not that picky, but I know some people are (I am :crazy).

[FEVB]

The 1787 is still a great 3rd basemans glove though. The only think I have against the A2Ks is how the inside can become slippery if used for an extended period of time.



FEVB

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

The Primo is a mighty fine glove. I wish I could afford one... How much are you paying?

[Hartattack52]

399.99. I just ordered it yesterday.

[soceric]

I own the 12 inch David Wright model. It's a great glove. It is a very well made glove. And it has broken in perfectly. I own a lot of different gloves, which I also like. The Primo in my opinion is ultra well made, but is way too heavy with the oiled leather.. It is a great infield pattern though IMO. My favorite gloves are mizuno's though.. For me they just fit my hand well.. So while I use the A2K somewhat, my Mizuno gets the most use. I have an Akadema that I love too.

Hope this helps. In the end, if you like the A2K pattern, you can't go wrong.

[Go Cardinals]

jake can you make a sticky for discussion on gloves, because it seems like every week there is the same discussion about a2k and rawlings?

[Utility07]

I own an A2000 and an A2k. I love em both. Great gloves.

[bueki12]

the primo is a fairly good glove but it is very heavy, especially for me being an outfielder.

but other than that i like the a2k cuz i tried my friends,

and the mizuno gloves from japan are verrrryyy good quality.
you should check em' out.

[59FIFTY]

the primo is a fairly good glove but it is very heavy, especially for me being an outfielder.

but other than that i like the a2k cuz i tried my friends,

and the mizuno gloves from japan are verrrryyy good quality.
you should check em' out.
Yupp, the Mizuno Pro Limited is the most awesome glove i've ever used.
Takes a looong time to break it in, but when you get it right you don't want to take it off.

I might buy a HOH or a A2K this summer.:cool:

[Paulypal]

I wouldnt use an A2K if they gave them to me for free. I have no clue how that glove is that much money.

It feels "cheap" on my hands. I just see the glove getting floppy very quickly. It ok if its starts to get floppy on David Wright...he has an unlimited supply.

As far as the Primo goes you wont find a better quality glove as far as construction is concerned. The one problem which has been well documented is that it is heavy.

Right now I have two Pro Preferreds in my bag.

[59FIFTY]

I wouldnt use an A2K if they gave them to me for free. I have no clue how that glove is that much money.

It feels "cheap" on my hands. I just see the glove getting floppy very quickly. It ok if its starts to get floppy on David Wright...he has an unlimited supply.

As far as the Primo goes you wont find a better quality glove as far as construction is concerned. The one problem which has been well documented is that it is heavy.

Right now I have two Pro Preferreds in my bag.
How mutch time did you spend breaking your PP's in?

[Paulypal]

The pro prefs take about two weeks to break in for. I use the Nokona glove hammer to break them in. So I dont need the field to play catch to break them in.

[baseballz20]

Since no one is responding to my post in the amature baseball section of this site I thought I'd post it in this section. I'm looking for a new 11.75" thirdbasemans glove and the Wilson A2k looks nice and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it and could give me some feedback. Supposedly the catcher's mitt is nice but what about the normal gloves. How do the A2k's compare to other gloves is basically my question.

I have the Wilson A2k and it is the best glove i have ever used it is simply amazing and it will last a long time.

[Paulypal]

I have the Wilson A2k and it is the best glove i have ever used it is simply amazing and it will last a long time.

Different opinions makes the world go around.

[bueki12]

Has anyone tried the nike gold pro tradition gloves?

[59FIFTY]

Has anyone tried the nike gold pro tradition gloves?
My 1st Baseman has one, i can't really give an opinion but it's one heavy ass glove;)

[The Glovedoctor]

I don't own an A2K, but have a buddy who had the A2K first base mitt - and it didn't even last a year. It was far too floppy to use in games (he couldn't pick balls b/c any ball that had anything on it would knock the mitt back).

I don't think that would be a problem with their fielder's gloves, so I'm sure they are fine.

I did have a Nike Pro Gold Tradition 1st base mitt, and it is by far the stiffest and most difficult break - but worth the work. I found it a little small for my liking, and wonder which moran is responsible for their method of lacing the glove. I had to basically relace the web as it was so closed that you hardly could fit a softball in there. Nice glove though, and I sold it to they guy with the floppy A2K.

I agree with the comment on the Mizuno Pro Limited. I had a 11.75 - think it is called the GZP 50, and it is the best constructed glove I have ever bought. Really nice craftsmanship, and unbeatable hand fit.

I relaced it with stronger black lace, and here are some before/after shots....

http://www.glovedoctor.net/MIZUNOgzp50.htm

Personally, I love the Rawlings Pro Preferred. I have a custom 12" that I use for 3rd base that I picked up on Ebay BRAND NEW for $120 - b/c it has some guys name embroidered on it. This was a $350 custom glove that was EXACTLY what I was looking for that I got for a steal. Took a little while to break in, but PP gloves are money after they are broken. All I had to do is go to a local leather shop and picked up some black leather and got my name and # embroidered on it, glued it to the glove over the other guys name, and I am fat & happy. It's by FAR the best deal I have ever scored on a glove. See for yourself - it's a Rawlings Pro Preferred....

http://images20.fotki.com/v372/photos/4/41654/3232079/GabbyKids10312006006-vi.jpg

http://images14.fotki.com/v371/photos/4/41654/3232079/GabbyKids10312006008-vi.jpg

Ordered a HOH single post 12" custom glove last week and should have it in mid October.

[Baseball gLove]

My son loves his A2K for middle infield, but feels it's too soft for third base so he uses a Rawlings HOH.

[59FIFTY]

GD, that's one nice glove, i love all black gloves <12" with H webs.

Did the seller just custom ordered it like anyone could do or was he a pro?

[The Glovedoctor]

GD, that's one nice glove, i love all black gloves <12" with H webs.

Did the seller just custom ordered it like anyone could do or was he a pro?

I really like the conventional backs, not a big fan of the fast backs (one finger hole).

I don't know anything about the guy who sold it to me, but I do know that anybody can custom order a glove like that from Rawlings. My wife got me a custom sheet out of one of my Baseball Express magazines a couple years ago and handed it to me and said "Happy Valentine's Day, buy yourself a glove." Got a 12 3/4 inch Rawlings PP, solid black OF glove with a conventional back.

Like I needed another glove. I have a problem....

[jmart2663]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Akadema "praying mantis" catchers mitts? I am thinking of buying one for my son, the APM-41, but I haven't been able to find out much about them outside of what it says at the Akadema website.

Any input would be appreciated.

[Baseball gLove]

Does anyone have an opinion on the Akadema "praying mantis" catchers mitts? I am thinking of buying one for my son, the APM-41, but I haven't been able to find out much about them outside of what it says at the Akadema website.

Any input would be appreciated.

I have heard (perhaps here) that those mitts offer the best protection for a catcher's thumb.

[The Glovedoctor]

When I was in HS and College, I used a Easton catchers mitt that had this great metal sheath for the thumb built in. It was a black mitt, and the thumb sheath was red.

Weird thing, the day I bought it I found a woman's ring inside it. Tried to find the owner of it, but eventually gave it to my sister.

[jmart2663]

I have heard (perhaps here) that those mitts offer the best protection for a catcher's thumb.

Hey thanks for the input. I think I am going to go ahead and order the mitt today. I found one online for $129.00 and I just think I am going to be really impressed with the Akadema catchers mitt. My choice came down to Kelley or Akadema and I believe I'll get the Akadema. As soon as it arrives and my kid gives me some feedback I'll keep you updated.


Thanks,

Jerry

[DunninLA]

I'm smiling. I just received the Wilson A2k 1799 12.5" H-Web at the office today. I'll never use anything other than A2k anymore, as I've tried most of those you've all mentioned:

1960s American Made Horween leather black Rawlings HOH 12.75" (can't remember web... H-Web?" Nice glove, heavy, a bit large for my hand (I'm a size 10 shoe).

2006 Rawlings Pro Preferred 12.75" H-web sort of grey/black: too stiff after using for a about four months... then I lost it. The thumb and pinky stalls felt like they had some kind of hard plastic support. Super pretty, tight, tight grained leather.

Wilson A3000 K87 11.75" V-H web. That one I did like, it finally broke in, lost it also. Brown/Black

Wilson A3000 12.5" 1955 model (Barry Bond's model). Grey/Black, I HATE this glove. I WISH I'd lost it cuz somebody might like it more than I do. It just won't break in right. It is super stiff because of that strange plastic support on the back of the finger stalls.

Wilson A2k KP92 12.5" modified trapeze (Vlad Guerrero's glove). You guys who say the glove gets kinda floppy are right. It is a softer leather, which I like. The wilson fits my smaller hand better. I guess I prefer a more supple glove. Don't know where its made, I ripped that tag out a long time ago.

Wilson A2k 12.5" H-web... just got this one. I can already tell it will be quick to break in. Tag says "Made in Japan"

I see three issues in glove selection:

1) does it fit your hand, and

2) is it a heavy or light glove, and

3) are you willing to wait a LONG time for a glove to break in? I am not, so I prefer Wilson A2k to Rawlings Pro Preferred or HOH. A lighter, more supple glove just plain will not last as long as a stiffer, heavier glove. Laws of physics and all that.

I almost think if you're willing to wait a LONG time, a standard Wilson A2000 might be the best. I've used one that was used three times per week for four years and it felt great. But I don't have patience for that.

[FiveFrameSwing]

What is the difference between the A2000 and A2K?

The A2000 I recently purchased broke-in well within 2wks and was being used in games after 3wks. Great glove IMO.

[DunninLA]

A2k is softer leather... I don't think its thinner, just softer.

Also, A2k has a different lining, and (I think) the wrist strap has a different material.

They say they give it a lot more detailing but I haven't carefully compared the two. The A2k opens and closes easily after playing catch for about five minutes.