I just got a brand new pair of gloves made of cow hide. They look nice, but the blasted things exude the most acrid leather odor I’ve ever smelled.
It’s not the typical soft odor of a leather jacket, I can smell the rottent hings from accross the room!
Is there any way I can make them smell better? I tried stuffing scented candles in them, but that just made the candles stink 
This is just a wild guess, but it may work.
Get some ultra-fine mesh (a coffee filter may work, or perhaps pantyhose) and make a little bag of baking soda to stuff inside each. Then, make a large one, or use one of the boxes of baking soda that has the removable sides, and put it in a plastic bag with the gloves. Tie the bag up and set it aside for a few days. The baking soda may absorb the odor.
If that doesn’t work, you could try having them professionally cleaned to see if that takes care of it.
Other than that, your options are pretty much limited to trying to cover the stink with another scent. The problem with this is that you want to avoid oils, since they cause leather to lose some of the tightness of its fibers. Over time, they can sag out of shape, or even start to decay. If covering the scent is your choice, I’d go get some strong-smelling air freshner crystals (perhaps the type sold for smokers) or incense and put it in a bag with the gloves-- making sure the gloves are not touching the crystals, of course.
professional leather cleaning?
my best guess.