CUSTOMER HIGHLIGHT:
My name is Dwier Brown and I am the actor who played "John Kinsella" in the movie Field of Dreams. I “have a catch” with Kevin Costner’s character, Ray (my son in the movie), at the end of the film. As a result of my performance in that movie, I have made appearances in hundreds of major and minor league ballparks, movie theaters and sports shows to promote my book "If You Build It…, a book about Fathers, Fate and Field of Dreams." To each event, I take my father’s 1930’s split-finger glove (endorsed by Johnny Moore), where I will let kids try it on and quite often “have a catch” with them for fun.
As a result of these events, my dad’s mitt (which was given to him by HIS father) has taken a lot of abuse, to the point where the inner glove was in tatters and was crispy and dry and difficult to get my hand into. I know I could have kept the mitt in a glass case at home to preserve it, but I wanted everyone to “meet” my dad (who died in 1988), and what better way than by putting their hands into a baseball glove that he had also worn? Because of this additional wear, I needed to have the mitt refurbished. But whom could I trust to do this delicate work? An internet search netted only two worthy glove restorers in the country; one in California and one in Ohio. I have lived in California for 40 years now, so the choice seemed obvious; however, I grew up in Northeastern Ohio and it seemed more fitting for my childhood glove to be restored in the place where my mitt and I had grown up together and where my father had made our home. Besides, two of my best college friends were from Parma.
This is how I first met Gordon King. He sounded kind and trust-worthy on the phone and so I sent him the glove with some trepidation in my heart. Well clearly, A1 Glove Repair was the perfect choice for the job! He returned my dad’s glove to me in beautiful condition! I had told him that I didn’t want it to look “too perfect.” I loved being able to see that my father had used this very glove. Taking it to events was my way of keeping my father with me, even though he has been gone for over 30 years.
The work was beautiful! He seamlessly replaced the destroyed portion of the inner glove and delicately restrung all of the lacing with new cowhide! He was kind enough to send me the original tattered leather interior so I could save the hide that my dad actually touched 90 years ago when he was a boy. What else can I say? I am excited that I chose Gordon (and his charming wife, Joyce!) to restore my father’s glove, and I am thrilled with his work!
Is this heaven? No, it’s A1 Glove Repair!
Dwier Brown (aka John Kinsella)
Ojai, California
06/26/2025
I haven’t cleaned my glove in 40 years! I actually thought it looked pretty good! Now my Mizuno Retro Gold never looked better! I didn’t realize it had gold trim. The palm was held together with duck tape! When Gordon was done, I had a brand new mitt. It still catches everything and it looks so amazing & sparkling in the sunlight! He also broke in my new black Mizuno! I also added matching new laces. I alternate gloves now since I love both of them! Gordon has worked on the gloves in our Euclid vintage women’s league!🥎🥎🥎.
Again, thank you Gordon for your prompt and amazing service!
Laurie Bevington
Chardon, Ohio
06/17/2025
We bought a glove on Amazon, used it once and the string broke in the pocket. A1 Glove Repair was able to restring and fix the glove super fast! They were very helpful and super friendly!
Thank you!
Christina Spears
Avon Lake, Ohio
05/24/2025
Gordon did an amazing job, both restoring the color and redoing all the straps on my glove. I was in the states, visiting from Germany and unfortunately this type of service is not available back at home. I'm glad I was able to find his service online. The price was more than reasonable for all the work Gordon provided. I would recommend to anyone needing this type of service to use A1 Glove repair. Highly recommended!
Thanks again Gordon!
Dustin Forrer
Bavaria, Germany
05/17/2025
I had my catchers mitt netting rip at a game back in 2023, so I first came and I was able to get it fixed super quickly and have it back for the next game. I wanted to chose a color for new strands when I got it fixed, but I wasn't able to at the time. I was told that I could have it changed in the future with no cost. Fast forward to November, and I needed to get my glove repadded due to overuse. I came back to A1 to get it done since the experience was so great before and it turned out great! My glove feels awesome now, and I was able to get the color choice I wanted with no extra cost! My glove was made like new, repadded with colored strands, and dyed to make it look brand new. I absolutely love how well my glove was taken care of. Any time I need something done, or I have a teammate who needs something done, I will always recommend A1 glove repair!
Mandy DeWitt
South Amherst, Ohio
04/16/2025
A1 Glove repair was amazing. Gordon took his time and ensured my glove was repaired and usable. I highly recommend him. I prefer to support local business like this instead of big stores. This is locally owned and operated by Gordon and his wife. I will continue to use him and his services in the future.
Tim
Cleveland, Ohio
04/12/2025
Gordon did a terrific job completely restringing and then refurbishing my 1978 baseball glove last month so that I could use it again while throwing balls with my teenager. The glove looks great, and Gordon was excellent and timely in his communications with me, and followed through on his work with my glove in precisely the timeframe we’d agreed upon. He is also a treasure trove of information about baseball gloves and the game of baseball, and is just a very nice man to talk with and work with. And he has a very nice wife whom you may meet, too, while meeting with Gordon for your glove repair work. It was just extra fortunate for me that he is only a few miles away from where I live, making it even easier for me to get my glove repaired; however, I could see from the other gloves shipped to him that anyone should be able to have Gordon repair their glove, regardless of their distance from him.
Elizabeth Eastwood
Strongsville, OH
04/10/2025
Gordon did a great job on my glove. Making it feel like new. Thank you!
John Tucker
Peninsula, OH
04/02/2025
The timely and expert repair work by A1 Glove Repair increased the amount of gold in the glove for a 1.000 fielding percentage.
Gad Holland
Detroit, MI
03/12/2025
A friend of mine had her softball glove repaired by A1 Glove Repair, so in the off-season I decided it was time to do the same. Gordon King rebuilt the interior of my glove, added some new padding, and restrung it. I wanted light blue strings and he was able to accommodate my wishes. King was easy to work with and completed the repair in a timely fashion. Highly recommend!
Polly Canfield
Highland Heights, OH
03/12/2025
I spoke to Gordon about how hard it has been to break in my two gloves. We spoke about how, and why glove manufacturers put plastic inserts in the thumb and pinky. I asked Gordon about removing these inserts and he told me his long history with removing them. I sent Gordon my gloves and away we went. Gordon's communication level through the process was excellent. He kept me updated and let me know when he dropped them off for shipping back to me. I received the gloves two days ago and they are in great shape, more worn in than when I sent them, and infinitely more useable than before. I would highly recommend Gordon's service.
Michael M.
Westchester, NY
03/03/2025
I have had the pleasure of hiring A1 Glove Repair a couple of times already. I have several children who play fastpitch softball and Gordon has been incredibly helpful in ensuring their gloves are in great shape. He has helped us even during the season where the timeframe for repair was very limited. I trust the quality of work and recommend his services to anyone in need of glove repair.
Kenton Grimes
Hinckley, OH
02/03/2025
Over the past five years, I’ve brought more than ten gloves to Gordon for breaking in, restringing, or repairs, and every single time, he has done an exceptional job. His expertise in glove repair is unparalleled, and working with him is always a pleasure. Gordon not only delivers high-quality craftsmanship, but he also does so efficiently and at a very reasonable price.
What sets Gordon apart is his genuine care for every piece of equipment he handles. He welcomes any and all questions, ensuring that each glove gets the attention it deserves. His work is truly a lost art, and I never hesitate to trust him with even the most worn-out gloves. Time and again, he has taken gloves that seemed beyond saving and restored them to look and feel like they just came from the factory.
I’m incredibly grateful for the work he has done for the players on my teams over the years. Seeing the joy on my players faces when they get back a glove they thought was beyond repair—looking brand new—is something special. Gordon’s dedication and skill make all the difference, and I can’t recommend him highly enough.
Tony Prock
North Royalton, OH
01/17/2025
I am 12 years old and I play mostly infield on a travel/club baseball team. My 3-year old Wilson A500 glove was in need of repair, so my dad contacted Mr. King to see if he could help fix it. We took the glove to Mr. King and met him where he assured us he could fix the broken strings. He also taught us all about baseball gloves and the materials used to make them. Over the Christmas break, Mr. King worked on the glove. When we went back to pick it up, I couldn't believe how great it looked. It was better than new because it had new & better strings than the original strings, and Mr. King also removed the plastic pieces inside the glove, so it was more flexible than ever.
He also cleaned it and used his special conditioner on the glove to make it softer than ever. This was a great experience because it saved my dad a bunch of money from having to buy a new glove, and I got to keep my old glove that I really like and it's it already broken in so well.
Thank you Mr. King for the awesome job! My dad and I hope we can continue to rely on A1 Glove Repair for any future needs.
Mason Eaton
Medina, OH
01/09/2025
Gordon is a master of his craft. Both my son's and my fielding first baseman and catcher's gloves were in need of some attention including some restringing. Gordon welcomed our business and made us feel valued as customers. His attention to detail is impressive! Prompt turnaround and good communication made it a seamless transaction. We are most happy with the results and the gloves are once again in excellent condition to get the 2025 season started.
Regan Gettens
Lakewood, OH
01/03/2025
The greatest error you can make is not giving A1 Glove Repair the chance to repair or restring your glove or mitt. He's the best. Fast. Affordable. And a great baseball guy to be around. Give him a chance, and he'll rework all your gloves.
Jim Crooks
Independence, OH
12/28/2024
I dropped off a glove my dad used decades ago, as well as my son's catcher's mitt. Both were in pretty rough shape. Both were full restored in short order and now look fantastic. I really didn't think either glove could be brought "back to life" as it were. Boy, was I wrong. The cost for both these gloves to be repaired and reconditioned was much less than I was expecting. Dropping off the gloves was a joy. It was fun to sit and talk baseball with Gordon and it made my day. On an additional note, I had a heart attack while these gloves were being done. Gordon was nice enough to bring them to a location near my home. It made things much easier for me, I can't say enough good things!
Kurt Kuster
Lyndhurst, OH
