_DSC0123 by
Robert Asami, on Flickr
_DSC0128 by
Robert Asami, on Flickr
_DSC0132 by
Robert Asami, on Flickr
Kamui Glove by
Robert Asami, on Flickr
Kamui Glove by
Robert Asami, on Flickr
I've had the glove for a few weeks, and overall, I think it's a good product. I don't have experience with Molinari gloves, so what applies to those may be overlapping here.
Packaging- Kamui has taken a very premium approach here, and at the prices they're charging, you can't help but expect a little bit of pampering. Very minimalistic aesthetics, with a touch of sophistication with a statement under the product. Doesn't help the product be any better, but you do feel like you've bought something of significance.
Fit- I'm a pretty skinny guy and 5'10", with hands that are by no means large. A medium is what fitted me snugly, so if you've got larger hands, you may have trouble finding anything in Asian sizing that fits you. The glove locks with a velcro strip like Predator gloves, but I can't figure out for what reason the *****ly end is the side you attach to, meaning if it's partially left exposed, you run the risk of lifting thread from the cloth, especially if it's wool cloth.
Features- The glove itself works superbly. I've used no-name gloves, Sir Joseph, Predator, and several of the fingerless Cue-Z/Fingerslide type gloves, and this has the smoothest action of them all to my surprise. The tips of each finger are left open slightly, which is what I desire- when bridging over a ball or in a way that requires pressure on the fingertips, I heavily disliked the full-finger gloves that forced your finger one way or another along the seam at the fingertip. The ventilation does help, but to a limited degree- sweating still occurs, but it doesn't feel like it's been in a sauna after a long session. There is a grip pad at the base of the hand, and if you ever slide your hand onto the table, it'll definitely be a noticeable change in laying down your bridge hand. A good design feature, just takes some getting used to.
One thing I'm a bit concerned about is longevity of this glove. Going in, I imagined it'd be a buy once, cry once sort of deal, but in the ~15hours I've put on it, it doesn't seem like it'll last more than two years with careful use. The porous, ventilated areas are a bit thinner than the rest of the glove, and combined with what I can only assume is slightly exposed velcro contacting it during storage, has already begun pilling ever so slightly. A great product, but for the price, I'm not confident in its longevity. Once this glove kicks the bucket, I'll have to see how well the Molinari stacks up to it.