<p>It seems that both the English terms, <em>sailmakers palm</em><sup>*</sup> and <em>sewing palm</em>, are used interchangeably (and sometimes combined as <em>sailmaker's sewing palm</em>).<br />
The Swedish terms aren't—based on internet searches—even though the tools indeed look as similar.<sup>†</sup></p>
<p>There is, however, a <a href="https://www.sailmakerssupply.com/email_archive/27" rel="noreferrer">subdivision</a> of the sewing palm into the <em>seaming palm</em> and the <em>roping palm</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>The seaming palm is used for sewing seams, patches and in general, lighter work. The eye has several indentation to accept the eye end of the needle.</p>
</li>
<li><p>The roping palm is used for heavier work such as sewing boltrope to the sail. The indentations in the eye are fewer and larger to accept the end of the larger needles that are required for heavier work [see e.g. <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/content/media/18/986618-large.jpg" rel="noreferrer">this image</a>]. Leather extends up the thumb of the roping palm. This allows the user to wrap the thread around the thumb for greater pull without cutting into flesh.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>An important difference in the designs is that some have the 'thimble' in the middle of the palm, whereas others have them against the thenar eminence. One probably has an advantage over the other depending on the task and personal preference, but for heavier duty work (like roping) the one closer to the palm might be better, as the needle will be more in line with the arm, and more force can be applied.</p>
<p>I think most if not all differences in design are matters of preference, as well. One that stands out is that some palms are single strips of leather with a hole in them, while others consists of two distinct strips, of which one is strapped around the thumb (and some DIY designs are Y-shaped).<br />
I can also imagine that historically different countries or regions had design differences—the one sold <a href="https://www.tradline.co.uk/sailmakers-palm-dutch-1816-p.asp" rel="noreferrer">here</a> is called &quot;Dutch&quot;, for example.</p>
<p>In books about sailing, it is referred to simply as a &quot;palm&quot;:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>In <a href="https://archive.org/details/TheSeamansFriend/page/n129/mode/2up" rel="noreferrer">The Seaman's Friend</a> from 1874:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/qIuy7.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qIuy7.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
</li>
<li><p>And in <a href="https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.462719/mode/2up" rel="noreferrer">Make Your Own Sails</a>, a handbook from 1966:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ueHWG.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ueHWG.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p><sup>* This seems to be the most common spelling, but it could also be sailmaker's or sailmakers' palm.<br />
† Could it be a regional difference in terminology?</p>
</sup>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-05T09:35:29.170Z
2023-12-05T09:35:29.170Z
Joachim
<p>I am thinking of doing some leather sewing projects and saw there were two kinds of gloves that look the same to me and cost almost the same so I don't understand which one to buy.</p>
<p>They are called &quot;hand sewing glove&quot; (&quot;syhandske&quot;) and &quot;sailmaker glove&quot; (&quot;segelmakarhandske&quot;) from what I can tell. Might be called &quot;sewing palm&quot;, &quot;seaming palm&quot; or &quot;roping palm&quot; as well? What are the differences? (Basically I want to know if I can pick the one I think is prettier or if there are actual differences)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-04T16:25:33.443Z
Note that googling "hand sewing glove" in English returns completely different products, not designed to push hard against needles (and even those are buried in links about how to make sew gloves by hand)
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-04T16:42:27.743Z
https://www.bondproducts.com/hand-sewing-glove-right-hand/ https://www.slojd-detaljer.se/produkter/lader/nal-trad-syl/syhandske-3155 https://www.korps.se/sv/Produkter/Laderhantverk/Laderverktyg___tillbehor/Ladersomnad?id=V9001706  https://www.amazon.com/Wm-Smith-Son-Adjustable-Sailmakers/dp/B00NB1DAUM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=sailmakers+palm&qid=1701708250&sr=8-2  https://www.classic-marine.co.uk/product/sailmakers-seaming-palm-rh/ These look very similar to me. The only description I have found for differences is that roping palm is for thicker needles.
Emil
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-04T16:46:06.133Z
Yes, but this doesn't https://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Sewing-Gloves.html and that's what I get lots of
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-04T16:47:10.247Z
Yeah I don't mean some kind of cloth thing, I think maybe the leather is for either protection against sticks or for robustness/applied force but these are just guesses...
Emil
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-04T16:57:10.357Z
I'm sure that's what the leather is for.  You know what you're looking for so my note was more for others googling in English and finding a false difference. I was going to make something like a sailmaker's glove from an old bike glove and leather or plastic, but I didn't bother in the end (it would have been for one project; I ended up using pliers to push the needle)
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-04T17:02:41.703Z
Sure, I tried to find clips on youtube but I only found guides how to make gloves, so that is why I tried to throw in as many synonyms as possible. Just provided the links to shops to show I did find them using these names. And I am having a very hard time to tell if there are functional differences.
Emil
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-06T18:02:03.703Z
Having worked in a sail loft, the sail maker's palm specifically has a heavy metal insert in the palm to push big 1/4" sized needles through many layers of sail cloth and or leather. It is not to protect the hand from sticks when sewing, it is to be able to apply to force needed to push the thick needle through the materials, often even with guide holes punched in the fabric. Without it the needle would just go through your palm, eventually.
rebusB
<leather>
Difference between hand sewing glove and sailmaker glove
Emil
# Difference between hand sewing glove and sailmaker glove

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-12-04)

I am thinking of doing some leather sewing projects and saw there were two kinds of gloves that look the same to me and cost almost the same so I don't understand which one to buy.

They are called "hand sewing glove" ("syhandske") and "sailmaker glove" ("segelmakarhandske") from what I can tell. Might be called "sewing palm", "seaming palm" or "roping palm" as well? What are the differences? (Basically I want to know if I can pick the one I think is prettier or if there are actual differences)

**Tags:** leather

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Note that googling "hand sewing glove" in English returns completely different products, not designed to push hard against needles (and even those are buried in links about how to make sew gloves by hand)  
> **username_0**: https://www.bondproducts.com/hand-sewing-glove-right-hand/ https://www.slojd-detaljer.se/produkter/lader/nal-trad-syl/syhandske-3155 https://www.korps.se/sv/Produkter/Laderhantverk/Laderverktyg___tillbehor/Ladersomnad?id=V9001706  https://www.amazon.com/Wm-Smith-Son-Adjustable-Sailmakers/dp/B00NB1DAUM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=sailmakers+palm&qid=1701708250&sr=8-2  https://www.classic-marine.co.uk/product/sailmakers-seaming-palm-rh/ These look very similar to me. The only description I have found for differences is that roping palm is for thicker needles.  
> **username_1**: Yes, but this doesn't https://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Sewing-Gloves.html and that's what I get lots of  
> **username_0**: Yeah I don't mean some kind of cloth thing, I think maybe the leather is for either protection against sticks or for robustness/applied force but these are just guesses...  
> **username_1**: I'm sure that's what the leather is for.  You know what you're looking for so my note was more for others googling in English and finding a false difference. I was going to make something like a sailmaker's glove from an old bike glove and leather or plastic, but I didn't bother in the end (it would have been for one project; I ended up using pliers to push the needle)  
> **username_0**: Sure, I tried to find clips on youtube but I only found guides how to make gloves, so that is why I tried to throw in as many synonyms as possible. Just provided the links to shops to show I did find them using these names. And I am having a very hard time to tell if there are functional differences.  
> **username_2**: Having worked in a sail loft, the sail maker's palm specifically has a heavy metal insert in the palm to push big 1/4" sized needles through many layers of sail cloth and or leather. It is not to protect the hand from sticks when sewing, it is to be able to apply to force needed to push the thick needle through the materials, often even with guide holes punched in the fabric. Without it the needle would just go through your palm, eventually.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-12-05. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

It seems that both the English terms, *sailmakers palm*\* and *sewing palm*, are used interchangeably (and sometimes combined as *sailmaker's sewing palm*).  
The Swedish terms aren't—based on internet searches—even though the tools indeed look as similar.†

There is, however, a [subdivision](https://www.sailmakerssupply.com/email_archive/27) of the sewing palm into the *seaming palm* and the *roping palm*:

> * The seaming palm is used for sewing seams, patches and in general, lighter work. The eye has several indentation to accept the eye end of the needle.
> * The roping palm is used for heavier work such as sewing boltrope to the sail. The indentations in the eye are fewer and larger to accept the end of the larger needles that are required for heavier work [see e.g. [this image](https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/content/media/18/986618-large.jpg)]. Leather extends up the thumb of the roping palm. This allows the user to wrap the thread around the thumb for greater pull without cutting into flesh.

An important difference in the designs is that some have the 'thimble' in the middle of the palm, whereas others have them against the thenar eminence. One probably has an advantage over the other depending on the task and personal preference, but for heavier duty work (like roping) the one closer to the palm might be better, as the needle will be more in line with the arm, and more force can be applied.

I think most if not all differences in design are matters of preference, as well. One that stands out is that some palms are single strips of leather with a hole in them, while others consists of two distinct strips, of which one is strapped around the thumb (and some DIY designs are Y-shaped).  
I can also imagine that historically different countries or regions had design differences—the one sold [here](https://www.tradline.co.uk/sailmakers-palm-dutch-1816-p.asp) is called "Dutch", for example.

In books about sailing, it is referred to simply as a "palm":

* In [The Seaman's Friend](https://archive.org/details/TheSeamansFriend/page/n129/mode/2up) from 1874:

  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/qIuy7.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/qIuy7.png)
* And in [Make Your Own Sails](https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.462719/mode/2up), a handbook from 1966:

  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ueHWG.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ueHWG.png)

---

\* This seems to be the most common spelling, but it could also be sailmaker's or sailmakers' palm.  
† Could it be a regional difference in terminology?


---

