In reply to Baron Weasel:
So I wear the original ones as I don't like the draw cuff on the ones aimed at outdoor users. They are very, very blue as in Smurfs.
Think of robust dishwashing gloves lined with something similar to Polartec Alpha, and a grainy texture on the palms and fingers. They're a fetishists delight, and in Japan apparently come from the fishermen off the northern shores and probably the whaling fleets too if we are going to get into it.
They climb really well as they are grippy, dexterous and absorb no water. They don't breath that well but the open cuffs help, and they dry quickly. They do get cold if sweat cools inside them, like any glove. They say -60c on the packet but I don't know what that alludes to, being industrial it could mean snap freezing tuna with dry ice.
They are pre-shaped and a bit over sized, and I occasionally wear a liner with them which works ok. Having rubber shells, they seem more affected by convective heat loss ie wind across them, than fabric gloves.
For dripping ice falls nothing compares, also in snow. A pair lasts a season or two and neither requires nor accepts any maintenance, they are semi-disposable.