Brooks saddle problem

[ren531]

I have just bought a 1952 Raleigh Lenton Sport with its original Brooks B15 saddle still in usable condition , tried reproofing it with proofied but a lot of black came off on the cloth , it looks like it may have had boot polish put on it or perhaps going black with age is normal if it is polish is there anything safe to use to clean it up ,I don't want to damage it the saddle really adds to the character of the bike

 

[biggs682]

@ren531 have you tried giving it few good wipes with some wet wipes ?

 

[carpenter]

I would think that any solvent used to remove black boot polish would also strip wax from the leather (and cause cracking?).
Renapur is a really good leather conditioner (beeswax and jojoba oil) which is cheaper than brooks proofide, so perhaps you could use lots of it to "flush" out the black pigment.
I have had the Mickey taken (in a nice way) for suggesting previously that a good dose of Renapur on the leather followed by a short time in the oven at lowest setting (50 degrees centigrade) worked wonders with a 1965 brooks that I acquired. The higher temperature really made the leather take in the wax.

 

[ren531]

I haven't done anything yet thought id see if anyone had any experience of this before I did anything ,I wanted to soften it up before I ride it fearing tearing the leather if it has not been used for decades , I will try softer things 1st like the wet wipes you mention before more harsher methods ,if in doubt I will proofide it and wear black trousers .

 

[ren531]

Thanks carpenter , flushing it out with a leather conditioner may be the way , solvent does sound harsh .

 

[raleighnut]

It's possible that the saddle is Tan and has been 'boot blacked' by the previous owner.

 

[Alan O]

I'd use saddle soap for cleaning, and then neatsfoot oil for softening/preservation (or maybe mink oil or dubbin - there are plenty of low-cost products that are as effective as the fancy branded stuff like Proofide and much cheaper).

 

[ren531]

Thanks Alan O I will look into saddle soap and neats foot oil

 

[raleighnut]

Thanks Alan O I will look into saddle soap and neats foot oil

TBH I'd stick to Proofide but you can clean the Leather with a cloth moistened with 'White Spirit' as that is what they use making Shoe Polish. so it does not damage leather.

View: https://youtu.be/o4M7_NmYi9M

 

[carpenter]

I'm not sure if you realised how that clip could lead in to a few hours of watching how balls (for bearings) are made/ten most satisfying machines/ etc etc...

 

[raleighnut]

I'm not sure if you realised how that clip could lead in to a few hours of watching how balls (for bearings) are made/ten most satisfying machines/ etc etc...

Have you seen the saddle one,

View: https://youtu.be/kgm5l4u-mxk

 

[kynikos]

Well, there's two hours of my life gone...

 

[mikeymustard]

@ren531 a little bit of glycerin based saddle soap should get rid of the polish (or years of ground in dirt if that's what it is); To condition it after, as Raleighnut says, you have proofide so use that rather than neatsfoot or mink: the problem with any oils is that it's too easy to saturate the leather and stretch it. Proofide is pretty good value given how long it lasts. It's designed to make the leather supple without damaging the fibres and going saggy

 

[ren531]

Thanks sounds like good advice, having it stretch would be as bad as ripping it

 

[Alan O]

Thanks sounds like good advice, having it stretch would be as bad as ripping it

I've never had a saddle stretch. I currently have a Brooks Swallow which got neatsfoot oil treatment when new and now just gets a bit of dubbin once a year - and it's fine.

Mink oil, btw, is more like a grease - it's not a liquid.

But yes, if you already have Proofide, it makes sense to use it.