Legendary Japanese work gloves originally designed for cold weather fishermen provide a surprisingly effective cheap option for winter climbers, who operate in similar cold, wet conditions when you think about it.
They have a "breathable" outer, a thermal lining and a drawcord cuff, and provide a close dextrous fit when placing gear.
There are good reviews of these gloves on gearjunkie.com and climberkyle.com, and some slightly more down to earth ones on UKC.
Several members of the Needle Staff have used these in action on Scottish ice and reports are favourable. The gloves keep your hands warm when climbing and are much more dextrous when placing gear than padded leather gloves, however they are not so warm on belays and a pair of overmitts or warmer gloves are advise. They would also make a useful spare pair of gloves as they are very light and take up little space. They are also reported to be very good for wearing when washing your car! However, from reports we have received, don't expect them to be as durable as high quality gloves from the well known climbing gear manufacturers like Black Diamond, Mountain Equipment and Rab.
NB The sizing on the gloves is for Japanese hands and is on the small size. For Brits, if you are usually a Medium, order a Large, etc.