That's a great question, and the answer is a bit complex because all cut resistant gloves are basically cut resistant in their entirety, with very few exceptions. And these exceptions are really gloves designed for specialty tasks that only require specific areas of the glove to be cut resistant.
What kind of cut resistance you need depends on the task you're doing. If the task puts your whole hand, wrist, and some of your arm at risk, you'll need two products (gloves and sleeves) both with the same cut resistance levels.
In my opinion, this question keeps coming up because of the way cut resistant gloves can look and because many of them are designed for more than one hazard or risk.
Even when your glove is cut-resistant all over, it might also have a special coating for grip, water resistance, chemical resistance, or heat or cold resistance. It might also be puncture or stab resistant, impact resistant, or have other features.
Glove design features, such as elastic at the wrist, or with a locking nylon strap or Velcro strap closure, can also be incorporated into or over the cut resistant fabric itself.
The product information will specify which parts of the glove are cut resistant and which (if any) are not. For example, a work glove with a leather palm may have a cut resistant inner liner for the palm and cuff. The product information will state that, along with all of the tests, and the levels of protection that the glove has passed.
Testing and Standards
Any glove that is sold cut resistant and bears (in the USA) the ANSI/ISEA 105 -2016; ATSM F2992-15 Stamp A-1 through A-9 is cut resistant all over.
Advertisement
The stamp, which ranges from A-1 (lowest resistance) to A-9 (highest resistance), indicates that the glove material has passed a specific cut resistance level test, to the standard.
That ANSI/ISEA standard was amended to align testing with (Europe) DIN EN 388:2003 and ISO 13997.
Cut resistant gloves are primarily made from engineered fibers, including Para-Aramid or High Performance Polyethylene (HPPE) fibers, which are then made into yarns and woven into materials from which gloves are made. You may recognize brand names like Kevlar, which is incorporated into gloves by many manufacturers.
Often, fibers are also made into threads of various weights that are then used to stitch the cut resistant glove fabric together, making the glove truly a one-piece cut resistant construct. Seamless cut resistant gloves can also be made without stitching by knitting cut resistant yarns.
Cut resistant gloves are also made from steel mesh, woven steel threads, and steel rings. Fabrics such as nylon can also be used, and all of these materials can be used in combination with others to make the fabric even more cut resistant.
Other factors affect the level of cut resistance, like the weave (a tighter one offers higher cut protection). The thickness of the finished fabric also makes a difference.
The distributor or manufacturer can supply you with all the information you need about this type of PPE. If you've done a careful hazard and task analysis and you've had a conversation with their representatives, you'll be able to find the right glove for the job.