American-Made Deerskin Motorcycle Gloves: The Complete Buyer's Guide
Legendary USA has built its glove reputation on American-made deerskin. Deerskin is softer than cowhide, conforms to the hand faster, and provides grip-feel through controls that heavier leathers block. This guide covers every model in the Legendary USA deerskin lineup, what separates them, who each is built for, and how to size correctly.
Why Deerskin for Motorcycle Gloves
Deerskin's properties make it well-suited to precision grip applications. The leather is naturally soft without chemical processing, which means it conforms to the hand's specific shape within the first few rides rather than requiring an extended break-in. Its tensile strength — resistance to tearing under stress — is higher than cowhide despite the softness. The material also performs across a wider temperature range than cowhide, remaining pliable in cooler conditions where cowhide stiffens.
For motorcycle use, the practical result is a glove that lets you feel the controls rather than just grip them. Throttle feedback, brake lever pressure, and clutch engagement all register through deerskin in a way that thicker cowhide gloves muffle. For riders who prioritize control feel, this is a meaningful difference over a full riding season.
All Legendary USA deerskin gloves are American-made. Browse the full American-made motorcycle gloves collection.
The Short Wrist Touchscreen Gloves
The Deerskin Short Wrist Touchscreen Gloves are the core of the Legendary USA lineup. Short wrist style — stopping at the wrist rather than extending up the forearm — is the classic American motorcycle glove format. It works under or over jacket cuffs, pairs with any sleeve length, and provides a clean look with cruisers, standards, and touring bikes.
The touchscreen-compatible fingertips allow phone and GPS use without removing the gloves. Deerskin conducts well enough for most touchscreens without requiring the thin synthetic fingertip patches that wear through quickly on cheaper touchscreen gloves. The deerskin fingertip itself handles the conductivity.
Best for: All-around riding, warm weather through fall, riders who want touchscreen function without compromising glove quality.
The Aramid Lined Short Wrist Touchscreen Gloves
The Deerskin Aramid Lined Touchscreen Gloves add an Aramid fiber lining — Kevlar-equivalent cut resistance — to the short wrist touchscreen platform. The Aramid lining significantly increases resistance to cuts and abrasion while adding minimal bulk. The glove retains the deerskin exterior's grip feel and touchscreen function.
This is the choice for riders who want the deerskin comfort and feel with an additional layer of abrasion resistance. The Aramid lining doesn't change the fit profile — size the same as the standard short wrist model.
Best for: Riders who prioritize abrasion resistance, commuters, highway riders.
The Gold Short Wrist Gloves
The Gold Deerskin Short Wrist Gloves use Legendary USA's premium-grade deerskin in the short wrist format without the touchscreen feature. The gold-grade deerskin is selected for consistency of grain and suppleness — it's the top tier of Legendary USA's deerskin sourcing.
For riders who don't need touchscreen capability and want the purest deerskin riding experience — maximum grip feel, softest hand, fastest break-in — the Gold Short Wrist is the choice.
Best for: Riders who prioritize feel over tech features, classic bike riders, show-quality appearance.
The Fingerless Gloves
The Deerskin Fingerless Gloves are built for warm weather riding where full finger coverage creates too much heat. The fingerless format maintains palm protection while allowing airflow and direct fingertip feel. Deerskin in a fingerless format is a practical upgrade over synthetic fingerless gloves — the palm material provides real grip and doesn't deteriorate at the palm seams the way synthetics do.
Best for: Summer riding, riders in hot climates, show events, short rides in high heat.
The Classic Touchscreen Gloves
The Deerskin Classic Touchscreen Gloves offer touchscreen function in a slightly fuller cut than the short wrist model. The classic cut fits riders who prefer a little more room through the hand and fingers, or whose hand geometry runs wider than the short wrist model's fit profile.
Best for: Riders with wider hands, riders who want a slightly roomier fit, touchscreen function with classic proportions.
Sizing Deerskin Gloves Correctly
Measure your dominant hand around the knuckles at the widest point, excluding the thumb. This is your glove size in inches. Deerskin conforms to your hand quickly, so fit at purchase should be snug but not restrictive — you want the glove to feel slightly close on day one, because it will relax to a precise fit within the first few rides.
Do not size up for a looser fit. A deerskin glove that's too large won't conform to the correct shape and will remain loose at the palm and finger joints, reducing grip feel and control feedback.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes deerskin better for motorcycle gloves than cowhide?
Deerskin is naturally softer than cowhide without chemical processing, which means it conforms to the hand faster and provides better grip feel through controls. Its tensile strength is higher than cowhide despite the softness — it resists tearing under stress effectively. Deerskin also remains pliable across a wider temperature range than cowhide, which stiffens in cooler conditions and reduces dexterity. For precision grip applications like throttle and brake control, deerskin's combination of softness, strength, and temperature performance is well-suited to motorcycle riding.
Are the touchscreen fingertips on deerskin gloves reliable?
Yes. Legendary USA's touchscreen deerskin gloves work with most capacitive touchscreens — phones, GPS units, and bar-mounted displays — because deerskin conducts well enough at the fingertip without requiring synthetic patches. The conductivity comes from the deerskin itself rather than a separate material, which means the touchscreen function doesn't degrade as the fingertip wears. Some heavily glassed or screen-protected devices may require more deliberate contact, but standard smartphones and navigation units work reliably.
How should motorcycle gloves fit?
Gloves should be snug across the knuckles and through the fingers without any excess leather bunching at the palm or finger joints. There should be no gap between the fingertip of the glove and your fingertip — excess length at the fingertips reduces control feel and can catch on controls. For deerskin specifically, buy slightly snug knowing the leather will conform to your exact hand shape within the first several rides. A glove that feels slightly close at purchase will feel precisely fitted within a week of regular use.
How do I care for deerskin motorcycle gloves?
Apply a small amount of quality leather conditioner every two to three months during regular use, more frequently if the gloves get wet. Let wet gloves dry at room temperature — never near a heat source, which stiffens and cracks the leather. Avoid mink oil, which over-softens deerskin. Store flat or hanging, not compressed or folded. With proper care, a well-made deerskin glove lasts five or more years of regular riding before the seams require attention.
The Right Glove for Your Riding
For most riders: the Short Wrist Touchscreen is the all-around answer. Add the Aramid Lined version if abrasion resistance is a priority. Choose the Gold Short Wrist for the purest deerskin feel without touchscreen. The Fingerless handles summer heat. The Classic Touchscreen fits riders who need a roomier cut.
All models are available in the American-made motorcycle gloves collection. For summer glove selection specifically, see the guide to choosing motorcycle gloves for summer riding.