Re-shaping a brooks saddle

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

robsa

Über Member
Location
chesterfield
While ive been waiting for the paint to harden on the rudge ulster ive had a rummage through the disgrace i call a garage. Ive found a brooks professional!
Goodoh.
Alas. Its gone a bit weird.
Its sides have flaired out .
Any ideas how to get it back to its original shape?
20180430_150343.jpg
20180430_150355.jpg
20180430_150402.jpg
 

MiK1138

Veteran
Location
Glasgow
I would think you could make some holes with an awl lace it up, soak it and tighten the laces to pull the sides in them allow it to dry.
 

amedias

Active Member
Location
Devon
If you don;t feel up to poking holes and lacing just yet you can often get 90% of the way there with a simple re-blocking. I've successfully re-shaped a few over the years in worse shape than that, ultimately it doesn't always hold, or at least not for as long as lacing but it's an easy first option.

The trick is to let all the tension off, then soak it for a while until it's nicely compliant but not floppy. Then, depending on how out of shape it is you either need to stuff the underside with something to re-shape, hard modelling foam works, or at a push rags and wood. Then you need something wrapped around it to pull the sides in, I've used an old tea-towel (to protect) and then cinched a few toe-clip straps around that to pull it all back into shape. Then you need to find a flat surface to lay it upside down on, and then some hefty weight on top of it and leave it to dry out.

If this all goes according to plan then you should end up with a nicely re-shaped Brooks. In some cases when they are particularly badly out of shape it can take a couple of attempts, one to get it roughly in shape, and then another with better blocking and/or strapping to get it finished off.

Once it's back in shape time to get the leather treatment on it and gently bring it back up to previous tension, then maybe a smidge more, but certainly don;t tension while wet!
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
This is an image of one which has been 'laced' which @DCLane sold me.
Brooks Lacing.JPG

The year of the saddle will be stamped (lightly) between the two rivets on the right end of the crescent (right viewed from above).
 

Phil may

Well-Known Member
Location
Hampshire
I'm going to give this a go. How Do you make the holes for lacing
 

carpenter

Über Member
Location
suffolk
If I could add a bit of information; Once you have it back in shape and dried out, it could be well worthwhile giving it a good coating of Renapur leather balsam (cheaper than Brooks wax, and I had some in the cupboard) followed by a short spell in the oven at 30 - 40 degrees C.

I got hold of a 1965 Brooks saddle as part of a scrap bike on eBay. The saddle was in awful condition so I thought "nothing to lose" and did the above. The saddle went through the process about four times before it stopped soaking up the beeswax and is now looking much better and is in use.
 
If I could add a bit of information; Once you have it back in shape and dried out, it could be well worthwhile giving it a good coating of Renapur leather balsam (cheaper than Brooks wax, and I had some in the cupboard) followed by a short spell in the oven at 30 - 40 degrees C.

lol. Should this then be served with custard or evaporated milk?
 
Top Bottom