I was recently asked if I use heat resistant gloves when I bend neon glass from someone who was interested in taking a beginner's class. I mentioned that I didn't, and instructors that I've learned from in the past didn't either (from what I know of). They were a bit in disbelief and mentioned glass blowers always use heat resistant gloves, and I have had quite a few burns, some tolerable and others not so great. But, it made me think -- as a novice, I have moments where I'm interested in getting a particularly tight and neat bend, but then the fire and the shape of the glass don't really set me up for success and then I can't handle the heat. 

Does anyone use gloves when bending neon? If so, how does it help your bends?

I do not use gloves, in fact I am not really certain that you could bend with gloves on because it would impede the fine motor skills needed for neon tube bending. I think if you look at the glassblowing done with gloves you will probably see that the gloves are used in steps that are more course in nature and that the more precise types of operations are done without them. If you find that someone is bending neon with gloves on and it is working for them, I'd be interested to see it for my curiosity. 

gloves seem like they would only be an impediment to tactile feedback and to the fine motor skills Robert mentioned.  that said there is a Korean bender who wears a glove on one hand, leaving his other (dominant?) hand free for manipulation of the glass. (unfortunately, i dont know his name because i do not read/speak Korean)

personally, as a novice bender, learning to bend is difficult enough without a 50% handicap due to a bulky glove, but to each their own.

Robert, here is a video of the one-gloved Korean bender in action, and there are many more on his YouTube channel.  i suspect you may also find the segment starting at 09:23 of this video of particular interest; as he demonstrates making his own electrodes.

Please note: as a disclaimer to newer/novice/learning members: there are many questionable practices shown in this & other videos on that channel.  some are safety-related, others are quality-control related.  sure he makes functional neon, but i urge you to strive for the safest & best neon possible.  some of the questionable activies that i saw (in this and/or other videos) that should be avoided:
1) touching the manifold while bombarding (he opens & closes the main stopcock multiple times)
2) not using mercury traps; putting a ball of mercury directly into the (8mm?) side tubulation and pumping around it.  seems to me that would be an easy way to suck mercury into your vacuum pump.
3) dirty mercury syringe lying around in an open dish in a puddle of dusty mercury (contain your mercury for safety AND to keep it clean)
4) using latex tubes anywhere on your vacuum manifold.  latex is leaky and never stops outgassing.
5) using heat shrink tubing for high-voltage connections... GTO splicing, substitute for electrode boots, etc.  Heat shrink tubing is not rated for the multiple kilovolts that are required to power neon signs.  (apparently that's fine in Korea?)

those objections aside, however, i do enjoy watching how neon is made all around the world.  this particular video also shows phosphor coating of tubes, which is not commonly done in the US, so that is neat to watch.

Thank you!  Yeah, I'd forgotten about that video. And yes, he definitely does some questionable things....not just electrically but with respect to the handling of the phosphor chemistry too. But it is an interesting video. Thank you for sharing and for your disclaimer remarks. 

I do sometimes use gloves when I bend, but it is only in certain circumstances and only something I started to do in the last 4 or 5 years I'd say. Generally, they are bulky and I think if you are a novice they will get in your way and keep you from being able to hold the glass well and also getting to know the "feel" of tubebending. The times I do use gloves (and actually I just use it on only one hand when I do) is if I am bending my way through a stick and I want to keep going but the part I just bent is still hot, then will I put a glove on so I can hold the hot glass to make my next bend. You know...when I'm impatient! :) And also sometimes, if I am trying to make a heat and my hand position is too close to the fire...I will use it to keep my hand cool while making the bend. I just wear it long enough to get me through whatever bend or two I need it for and then take it off. Before gloves came along I would have to weld a "handle" onto the piece I was working on in order to keep my hand cool so using a glove definietly saves a little time and is helpful that way.

After I posted my reply yesterday I realized that I have a little time-lapse video from something I made a few months back and I am using a glove in it. :)

https://youtube.com/shorts/ugEAzl5iaMQ?feature=share

I use ove gloves. 5 bucks at the dollar store. I've probably gone though 50 pairs of them through my 18 years bending. Not sure why I started using them. My mentor did not use them. 

I have a few pairs of those 'ove gloves' and use them when I'm getting too close for bends and have a kevlar sleeve as well mainly during the winter or having to make odd turns in the fires. 

I've actually the gloves at the bottom because there's 2 layers of glove in them and take them apart to make the motor functions more bearable. If you cut a pair, now you have 2 pairs of gloves! 

I have never used them, but I've seriously considered getting some kevlar gloves to use once in a while - while bending a particular piece close to the flame, or like Eve mentioned - to keep going on the next bend wihtout having to wait for the last one to cool down enough to handle. 

I decided to buy a pair this weekend for that exact reason - the guidance in this thread was super helpful. I find myself wanting to continue onto the next bend or if I'm learning a particularly tight bend and don't want to burn my fingers.