Cut Levels of Gloves

It has come to my attention recently that several people out there have question as to the different levels of of cut protection and how they are calculated.

Protection Level 1: 10-35 ounce of force needed to cut through this material (thin kevlars, thick cottons, etc...)
Protection Level 2: 35-70 ounce of force needed to cut through. (majority of your aramid fibers fall in to this catagory)
Protection level 3: 70-100 ounce of force needed to cut through. (thick aramid fibers often will have some leather patches etc.)
Protection level 4: over 100 ounces of force. (Synthetic fibers, typically reinforced with other materials, Kevlar, leather etc.)

There has been some discussion on creating a level 5 standard and some companies will even rate gloves, and sleeves as a level 5 but it has not been standardized other than it must exceed the 100 ounce test.

On a side not in the united states most gloves are tested for cut and abrasion resistance primarily. In Europe the glove under go a further testing for puncture resistance, so many time when you see a puncture rating it may not have been granted under ANSI standards. Also European standards for cut resistance are slightly easier than American, so when purchasing I recommend you look to go up a cut level if available.