Protective knit sleeves

A knitted protective cut-resistant compressive sleeve configured to protect a human arm, comprising:

• a contoured tubular body having a length and two ends with openings at both ends, the tubular body formed of a cut-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn, wherein the sleeve is formed such that one or more of the following applies:
• (a) the sleeve forms a hinge shape such that its relaxed shape favors about a 10° angle to about a 50° angle at the elbow;
• (b) the sleeve is knitted with four or more, or five or more, mesh density zones defined along the length;
• (c) the sleeve has a padded elbow portion formed by embroidering one or more further yarns onto the sleeve portion such that impact to a user's elbow is reduced by about 8% or more;
• (d) the sleeve provides a compression profile wherein compression at the mid-forearm in kPa is about 30% or more less than at either the wrist or elbow;
• (e) the sleeve has a cut-resistance by EN388 that is increased by about 30% or more relative to a sleeve knitted with only the cut-resistant yarn using the same needle size;
• (f) the sleeve has an EN388:2016 cut-resistance of D or higher, or
• (g) the sleeve has an EN 407:2004 level for heat contact of 2 or higher.