A little while back, I bought a Fuji Touring Series V that had this Brooks saddle on it. It looked worn and I was a little dubious of the small cracks around the rivets, but I like upcycling and trying to salvage things. So, I used Murphy’s soap thinking that it would strip out the dirt and grime that transfers to my shorts after riding. I also thought the oils in the soap would help to reinvigorate the leather. The Murphy’s soap didn’t help much. The PO also trimmed some of the leather off the saddle too… so, should I salvage or replace it?
by gladhandbart
11 Comments
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/leather.html
It doesn’t look that bad. The only soap you should really use on leather saddles is saddle soap. I’d put some Proofide on it and just ride it until it tears. You may still get years out of it.
* May I suggest using Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP Leather Conditioner Natural Oil Beeswax I have used for my expensive leather boots, as well as, and on my Brooks B-67S saddle over the years. I personally believe this is better than Proofide by Brooks. Here the method I use. I apply the Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP Leather Conditioner Natural Oil Beeswax Formula on my Brook’s saddle. I let it set overnight. Wipe off the excess the next day. Apply it again. Set it overnight. Wipe off excess the next day.. Loosening up the tension bolt helps too, but not too much. A couple of turns .By now, the leather should be more supple and pliable. Time to ride and see how it feels to your seat bones. I have owned several Brook saddles over the years. Obenauf’s HP leather conditioner IMHO works and performs extraordinary well
* [https://www.amazon.com/Obenaufs-Leather-Conditioner-Natural-Beeswax/dp/B003SKCARK](https://www.amazon.com/Obenaufs-Leather-Conditioner-Natural-Beeswax/dp/B003SKCARK)
I use Brooks Proofide treatment on my 45 year old Ideale 90 and it has more hairline cracks than I can see in your picture. It’s still going strong. I can’t comment on the other suggested products, but stay away from anything that will soften it.
Why. looks like a good saddle that just needs the right leather treatment. Wax it and fine.
put oil or wax on it i recently got one with cracking all over but after a coat of wax for waterproofing it’s smooth to the touch and no ripping i think these saddles are very tough usually i would definitely keep it as that one looks like it still has a lot left in it
I overhauled a Brooks saddle I found in the trash a couple of years ago, it was made in 1983 and was totally dry. It looks almost the same as yours, just rub some Proofide to the top and it will be good to go for many years.
Looks fine as it is.
Looks like it’s still useable. It’ll need a solid conditioning and thorough application of Proofide. It may be really droopy after doing the Proofide, but you could always punch a few holes in the side of the saddle and use a shoe string to tighten it up. I had a really droopy old Brooks and even after tightening the screw on the nose of the saddle a bunch, it was still way too droopy. Your mileage may vary…
I smear them up with Atsko SnoSeal. It’s beeswax and solvent to make a pasty consistency. After a good coat is on, hit it with a hairdryer, or leave it in the sun, where the heat liquefies the wax and it soaks into the leather. Wipe off the excess with a paper towel. It makes for a really nice finish and keeps it soft.
Thanks for all of the suggestions! I’ll apply one of these methods and report back afterwards 👍