UPDATE: you can now buy women’s workwear from Lincoln Electric direct. Click here for more details.
I am never surprised at the way the American’s promote and embrace women in the metalworking industry. Just jealous of their passion.
It really does leave the rest of us trailing behind. I think it’s about time I discovered stories of British females in this industry who are making sparks!!
Women ARE different.
Thanks to Jessi Combs and Lincoln Electric, female welders can stop rolling up the sleeves of their baggy men’s welding jackets and put away the giant gloves that are made for larger hands.
The Jessi Combs line of welding gear is Lincoln Electric’s latest fusion of style and safety, offering welding apparel tailored – and sized – specifically for women.
This Youtube video shows exactly why Lincoln Electric chose Jessi to promote their gear.
She talks about curves, waists, hour glass figures as well as demonstrating her skills in the fab shop.
A vivacious woman who enjoys being feminine.
Combs, a popular television personality and fabricator, is the perfect choice to work with the company to introduce the new line of female personal protection apparel.
A skilled welder, she has appeared on such shows as Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters and Overhaulin’. She currently co-hosts All Girls Garage and the new Overhaulin’ on the Velocity Channel.
“For years, I’ve wrestled with sleeves that are too long and gloves that are too big. With this introduction, I’m excited to partner with Lincoln Electric to offer protective gear that fits right and looks good. I really look forward to sharing these items with other female fabricators,” notes Combs, who provided significant input throughout the development process to ensure an accurate fit and appeal for female welders.
The first product in the new female line is the Jessi Combs Viking 1840 Series Amp Angel Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet.
The comfortable helmet has subtle graphics and features a 90 x 110 mm cartridge to keep the weight to a minimum.
External continuous 9-13 shade control makes it easy to adjust on the fly and continuous sensitivity and delay offer customized responses for every application.
The Jessi Combs Women’s Shadow Welding Jacket, tailored especially for women’s sizing, features a cooling front and back flame- retardant panels.
A flip up collar, adjustable snap sleeves and a snap cinch waist keep spatter out, while two horizontal flap pockets secure personal items.
A sexy lady who makes welding look fun! Go girl.
Biography of Jessi Comb from her FB page
Jessi Combs was born in the Black Hills of Rapid City.
With a lifelong desire to become a race car driver, this fearless young lady found a love for speed and its machines at a very young age. Her parents loved to explore everything around them and gave her a solid appreciation for off-roading as well as racing in many forms. In addition to her love for speed, Jessi is artistic and spends as much time as she can creating with her own hands. She loves metal working and leather craft and is skilled in both. Jessi is an independent and adventurous spirit, boasting, “I will try everything at least twice… I wouldn’t want to be jaded by the first attempt!” Her sense of adventure led her to board sports, travel, photography, and sky diving.
Having turned down a full scholarship to a prominent interior design school, she traveled North America before settling in Denver, CO to pursue a career in snowboarding. This proved harder on her physically than she had anticipated and decided on a career that involved her love of everything automotive and showcased her artistic abilities. She moved to Laramie, WY to attend WyoTech where she studied Collision/Refinishing, Chassis Fabrication, Street RodFabrication, and Trim/Upholstery, graduating with a degree in Custom Automotive Fabrication. Her time and involvement at the trade school led to her first fabrication job when the marketing department hired her and another student to build a car from the ground up in six months to debut at the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association’s (SEMA) show. The car was auctioned for charity and Jessi hasn’t looked back since.
While her chosen career path didn’t initially include time on television, she found herself on Overhaulin’ as a guest fabricator and was soon hired as the co-host of Xtreme 4×4, part of the Powerblock on Spike TV, a position she held for four years and 90+ episodes. Together with a co-host, they built everything from race trucks to street trucks and trail rigs to trailers for an audience of millions.
comments
I began taking a welding class this past semester, on a pure quest to know a bit about everything, and I am one of 4 girls. 2 have been there a lot longer and the other had welded before. Due to PPE issues, I quickly fell behind the group and have a long way to go to catch up. It’s hard when the instructor is assisting me with my gloves because I’m “…like Minnie Mouse!” going on to say “Look at your huge Minnie hands! It must be hard. Your hands are so tiny! Do you need help tucking your jacket in?” as he chuckles and I’m left feeling a little less than capable with a diminishing confidence. Sure, I tend to be easily excitable, I love doing my makeup and wearing dresses, I’m 5ft 1 and 110lbs, and I need slow/ detailed explanations when learning BUT I’m just as capable as the next block head with a beard. I can’t reach the tools too high up, I can’t carry anything heavier than myself, I’m stared at and get sympathy help constantly. BUT I DON’T WANT IT. I want to do this because I’m truly enjoying it. I hate how my helmet wont stay on properly, I hate readjusting my gloves constantly, being unable to open the clamps without using my body weight, feeling like I’ll never add up because I can’t steady myself with my glasses slipping down or whatever. Rolling sleeves back up, climbing on tables to reach anything I need in class… I just want to weld! I’m loving it. I absolutely love. I just find that the work isn’t the problem with woman, it’s the gear. I’m not going to cry again to matter how much I get burnt, blinded, or my work gets fucked up because of wardrobe malfunction. It’s the pity and sympathy that hurts far greater when some simple gear would make a world of difference. .
Hi Nana
Hey I love your post. Great to get a different perspective on the job and gear.
I too am tiny and can understand your frustration.
As we are in the UK and that’s not helpful, take a look at this site in the States http://www.bakersgas.com/black-stallion-angelfire.html
They have welding gloves for women starting from $25 and ladies jackets that are fitted for our shape from $30.
I can’t comment on how good they are but maybe you could try with the gloves first?
Dont knock a bloke for trying to help you even if you think it is in sympathy. It shows they have feelings.
They will struggle with the finer, smaller stuff remember if they have big, chunky hands and fingers.
Accept men and women have different strengths and weaknesses. We all have a huge part to play in this world and in the welding industry, if we work together we can get so much more done.
A great team. That way you can carry on enjoying learning to weld.
Keep us posted on your training and projects. Would love to share your stories with our network.
Thanks
Claire
Hi Claire,
Do you know a UK distributor for any of the Jessi Combs gear or at least some good fitting gloves here? I’ve Started learning to weld at work and struggling with the giant gloves and jackets. Also her jessi vs. the robot helmet is pretty bad ass 🙂
Lorna
Hi Lorna
To be honest I’m not sure! Amazon used to stock them, but they are currently saying unavailable!
Jessi is very prominent on twitter, you could try sending her a direct message? Or see if you can import them from the US?
If I come across anything I will let you know.
Thanks
Claire
Lorna – I have found some on Amazon, You have to wade through but jackets are available from the States and will deliver to UK
https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-K3114-XS-Womens-Shadow-Welding/dp/B00FKBJ7GW
and the gloves https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-K3232-M-Womens-Welding-Gloves/dp/B00BBK0MXI/ref=pd_bxgy_469_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AQANDF7S8MCDY0KNQF7D
Hi,
Just found this link looking for welding kit to fit my girlfriend and business partner Jenny Reed. We have a relatively new business (Black Fox Metalcraft Ltd) selling decorative metalwork such as house/farm signs and weathervanes. Jenny has been a welder for a little over 2 years now, predominantly doing Tig welding. Other than Jenny I’ve not come across many female welders and am glad to see there is kit available, possible christmas present I think…
Hi Phiz
For for us ladies you should never think – just Do!!
Go out and order her a whole new welding wardrobe!! Problem is she might never want to leave the workshop if she looks and feels soooo good!!!
Happy Christmans Jenny – would love you to send us a photo please if you get the gear.
Well Done.Lady welders and metalworkers are few and far between.I have met a few during the years I have been in engineering and they are generally more interested,enthusiastic and motivated than their male counterparts.
Thanks Peter – Completely agree! Jessi seems at the top of her game. I am rather biased though as I am a woman and we have to stick together!