Meet the Kinco^® Crew

Tom and Mandy Frank live and work on their family ranch in central Wyoming with their three small children. Life on the ranch can be demanding, and to get the tough jobs done right, the right gloves are needed.

Whether performing daily chores, driving cattle, putting and bringing in irrigation pipe, repairing tractors, or performing necessary vet work, they find their Kinco^® gloves are perfect for the task at hand.

“Kinco® gloves are tough and hold up to rigorous daily use we put them through,” said Mandy. They regularly use Kinco®’s original Style No. 1927KW for day-to-day tasks, but Style No. 2014 are great for warmer days.

As a 6th generation family farmer at Houck Family Farms in Dallas County, Iowa, Ethan Lambert understands the needs to protect his hands from the daily demands of his work. In 2019, his family farm, which runs 300 commercial black angus and crossbred cattle, received the Heritage Fund Award for 150 years of farming in Iowa on the same ground. Hard work runs deeps.

“A lot of what we’re doing is with our hands. Whether it’s in the feedlot, putting up gates or panels, I wear Kinco® gloves because they’re exceptionally durable and always up to the challenge,” said Ethan.

When asked what he likes most about Kinco® gloves, Ethan mentioned durability and cost-effectiveness. He said they only have one con: “I lose the dang things so much, but that’s really not Kinco®’s fault.”

When Kai Potter needs to protect his hands from the daily demands of working in his full-service garage specializing in European sports car remodels, he reaches for a pair of Kinco gloves. From turning wrenches, to moving large hazardous parts, to cutting sheet metal, Kai's whole career is built around his hands. "Sometimes we're moving a 400 or 500-pound bonnet from a car and if you drop that out of your hand, it's pretty painful. I've done that before, so having CutFlector™ gloves is good protection," he says.

On any given day, there are more than fifty automative restoration projects going on in his three garages, so it's necessary to have a solid assortment of different Kinco gloves for switching between different projects. When asked which Kinco gloves are his favorite, Kai is quick to pull out a pair of style 2035 from his back pocket. "They're real lightweight but they're also really protective," he says. "They have rubber knuckle guards and mechanics are said to be knuckle busters, so I like that protection."

In 1946, Jack and Lyn Vantrease packed up everything they owned and moved to Alaska to become commercial fishermen and start a homestead on the shores of Iliamna Lake. More than 60 years later, the business is still the center of the family’s life and work. Nate Rispler has been a dedicated employee for more than a decade working as a commercial salmon gillnetter.

Reflecting on sunny days in Bristol Bay, Alaska, Nate realizes the importance of protecting his hands while maintaining the dexterity needed to feel the mesh of the nets through his gloves.

“Between the net, rope, and fish scales, Kinco® gloves give me the strength, flexibility, and breathability I need to get through an 18-hour day on the water,” he said. “I can’t imagine being out here without my thermal lined gloves.”

The Hashem family are no strangers to hard work. Bella Organic Farm covers 100 acres of land on Sauvie Island just outside of Portland, Oregon. They farm over 70 varieties of berries, fruits, vegetables, pumpkins, vineyard grapes, herbs, and nursery stock – all organically grown using sustainable farming practices.

From operations to manual labor, it’s safe to say the family does a little bit of everything and uses gloves for most jobs around the farm.

“We have to use gloves for just about every task - planting, hand weeding with tools, t-posting, and putting in fencing to name a few,” said Sofia Hashem. “Kinco® gloves protect our hands from slivers, blisters and cuts and keep the dirt and grime off.”

Cody Strathe and Paige Drobny operate Squid Acres Kennel in Fairbanks, Alaska where they care for 50 Alaskan husky sled dogs that they use for arctic expeditions and long-distance endurance racing – in some of Alaska’s toughest conditions with temperatures reaching as low as -60 degrees Fahrenheit.

“When it comes to long hours on the dogsled, the Alyeska® ragg wool lined gloves are the best option for our base layer,” said Cody. “They are warm enough to wear alone in negative temperatures, yet sleek enough to slide into our beaver mitts when it’s really cold.”

The mushing lifestyle requires the best gear to keep them safe and warm. “Kinco® gloves allows us to keep doing what we love!”

Rancher in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation,
South Dakota

Cheyenne, a 5th generation cattle rancher and member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, lives on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. They own the Lazy Six Nine Ranch and maintain a 40-year family history where they run black angus cattle and raise half-draft horses.

Whether she’s fencing, feeding, riding, working with the cows or bailing hay, Cheyenne recognizes the importance of protecting her hands.

“I have always loved Kinco® gloves – they are sturdy and dependable for everything we do out here,” she said. “I keep a pair in every ranch pickup - even the ‘good pickup’ - just in case. Thank you for providing working ranchers with quality gloves we can trust.”