Kid or Kit gloves

[StephenG]

Is the expression " to handle with Kit gloves" or " to handle with Kid gloves". I'm certain I once read the term Kit gloves in a book.

[stoo_pid]

The expression is Kid Gloves.  Kid gloves were made from the skin of a young goat or lamb which is much softer than gloves made from other leather.  So to 'use kid gloves' is to handle something gently.

I would imagine the Kit Gloves reference was just a typo.

[RachCol]

Actually there's a wiki article that suggests people often mistake "kid" gloves with "kit" gloves. It cites that people used kid gloves to challenge others to a duel, the exact opposite of its supposed idiomatic meaning.

[smene]

Kid gloves, which came from the 1800's, made of young lamb's skin. They would be worn to handle fragile things, so the term "kid gloves" means that you will handle something in a fragile manner.

[KeithP1]

The answer is "kit gloves" Gloves made from the skin of a baby rabbit.