Handson Grip

Handson Grip makes gloves in Higashikagawa, in Kagawa prefecture, the glove-making town that accounts for roughly 90 percent of Japan's glove production. The company behind the label has worked with gloves there for about 60 years, and Handson Grip is where that experience meets newer materials and know-how.

Their ethos is "to experience life through touch". The range runs from Kobe leather to Polartec fleece and merino wool, with smart design tying it together. That covers neat gloves for around town as well as serious winter pairs. Rivet and Hide compares Kagawa to Wakayama, which is known for loopwheeled sweaters: the place where the craft is done properly.