I have owned at least one pair of every glove offered in SKD Tactical’s PIG FDT line and in the case of what is now called the FDT-Alpha, I’ve owned several. My wife even has a pair of the FDT-Charlie Gloves. I’ve worn these gloves for years and, with all that experience, I would say that the FDT-Delta Utility Glove is the best yet. It also happens to be the least expensive. Go figure.
Fit
The fit on the FDT-Delta Utility Glove is excellent. It fits extremely close to hand if you follow SKD’s sizing instructions and I have come to expect that from the FDT Gloves. They always seem to have a nice slim fit with no excess bulk.
If you hold your hand out at rest, you’ll notice that it isn’t completely flat. The fingers curve to varying degrees. Yet, most glove makers design their gloves as if your finger were straight all the time. The PIG FDT Gloves have curve designed right into them which is part of why they feel so natural on the hand.
If you look at most slip-on type mechanic’s gloves or shooting gloves, they have a bit of elastic sewn into the cuff in a zig-zag pattern with a very wide cuff. This creates a weird little skirt on your wrist that bunches up under a long sleeve or gapes open. The PIG FDT-Delta Utility Gloves take a different approach with a “triangle” gusset of stretch material sewn into the wrist of the glove. This allows the gloves to lay perfectly flat even on slim wrists. It’s basically magic.
Dexterity
Dexterity always sets the FDT Glove line apart and that is true of the FDT-Delta Utility Gloves too. The finger tips are designed so that there are no bulky seams on the tips. This allows you to actually feel something other than the glove chafing against your fingers when you are squeezing a trigger and provides the dexterity necessary to pick up small parts.
The pre-curved finger design also aids in dexterity. With some gloves, you feel like you are doing some kind of grip exercise when you close your hands into a fist. The gloves are sewn flat so they resist you when you try to close your hand. The PIG FDT Gloves have some natural curve already sewn in so they move very naturally with your hands.
Finally, the material on the palm side of the glove is very thin on the FDT-Deltas and all of the FDT Glove line. Unlike the rest of the line, the FDT-Delta Utility Gloves also features rubbery, silicone printing on the fingers and parts of the palm which aids in grip.
Durability
I have found the FDT Glove line to be generally about as durable as any mechanics style glove with a synthetic leather-like palm. You will eventually wear through the material – usually at the finger tips. If you need a more bomb-proof glove, you can check out the FDT-Bravo but I have always felt like I get my money’s worth out of the FDT-Alpha and FDT-Delta.
Wrap Up
I have come to prefer the FDT-Delta Utility Gloves over all other FDT Gloves and other shooting gloves in general. They fit closer through the wrist than anything I have tried. They are more comfortable and natural feeling that anything I have tried. They are light, durable, and provide excellent dexterity. They also happen to be the most affordable in the FDT Glove line. Those are wins all around.
Check out the PIG FDT-Delta Utility Gloves at SKD Tactical.
Disclosure: I was provided a pair of these gloves free of charge by SKD Tactical. I have since purchased more of them at full price.
