Anyone wear gloves to handle vacuum tubes?

Used to. Not so much any more. The reason it was recommended years ago was a myth.

As for the oils on your fingers, the oil won't in soak, penetrate, through the glass envelope of the tube, therein the myth, But it will smear the fragile labeling, printing on old vacuum tubes. Especially those made in the 1950s and 1960s.

When handling old tubes I am very careful to not touch the printing on the tubes with my fingers. Even wearing gloves. Any accidental wiping on the fragile printing can destroy the printing. YMMV.

.

Who was it who said:

"You can use your bare fingers to handle tubes, just make sure you wipe off the peanut butter first."

If you wear gloves your fingerprints can't be found and you have plausible deniability.

@mclinnguy ,

I believe it was John Harvey Kellogg.

Yeah, no matter how you pop tubes in and out, be careful of smearing the printing.

I grab it at the top, gentle wiggle back and forth, then pull it up by the bottom.

I always wear thin disposable cotton gloves. You can get them on amazon... lots of choices. I also use them while positioning speakers not to smudge or scratch. 

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