Can the world of stw offer help, as a long time lurker and very occasional poster pre-hack I’m popping my posting cherry with something really important…
I bought a new wtb ti railed leather saddle about a month ago – should I be doing anything to look after it? the nose is going from black to grey. The lettering on the tail lasted all of 10miles too but not bothered about that.
Ta.

My mate said they use Atrixo hand cream on leather horse saddles so thats what I used on my leather wtb.

Seemed alright but needed regular application once it started to go.

Either that or some decent black shoe polish wax?

Saddle soap is what you need

Tomo – had thought of polish but decided there must be something more appropriate.
Uplink – wasn’t sure how safe it would be to google saddle soap – but glad I did. Off to some horsey place at the weekend for me.
Thanks.

This is what you want – available
from this site

It is great on all leather items – especially useful if you have motorcycle leathers – most of mine gets used up on horse saddles and tack though – damn kids!

brooks proofide yea! bestist.

Kiwi shoe polish for me on Flites.

Saddle soap is only a cleaner, if you use it alone you will reduce life by removing oils and not replacing them. soap, dry, polish/neatsfoot/etc.

I don’t use anything on either of mine. I figure that they’re designed to put up with whatever they’re dealing with and they’ve been fine for several years.

I use the balsam that DeeJay mentioned, seems to do a good job on my Selle Italia’s.

Sorry to hijack a little bit but was going to ask this anyway…

I have a brooks saddle about 2 months old, must be getting close to a 1000 miles on it now, will I always be getting black marks from it or is there anything I can do to stop it? decided to wear a different pair of shorts on it the other day, coloured cargo typre shorts with a liner and it’s left black marks all over the @rse of my shorts! 👿

and, it’s still bloomin uncomfortable! Just can’t get the angle right to feel good, either slipping onto the nose or if I angle it so I don’t slip it puts too much pressure on the front! 😕

Bastad thing, I’m getting close to chucking it …

Once upon a time all we had were leather saddles. No-one it their right mind would buy any other colour but black or very dark brown*.

I don’t know what the rich people did then (people who had derailleurs and alloy rims) but we used to rub our saddles with 3-in-1 oil, top and bottom. The saddle didn’t get marked, but our unlined Harris Tweed undies used to get somewhat stained and shiny. That’s probably why we didn’t need those bottom lubricants that seem so popular these days.

As far as being slippery, we used to regard that as a “good thing” – only fat folk actually sat on the saddle, for the rest of us it was a perch with our weight supported by our feet and arms. You may find wool/linen interfaces better with a leather saddle, rather than slippery synthetics.

*so why have I got a honey coloured Ti Swallow, then? beats me 🙂

We just use shoe polish.

sounds like shoe polish will do the job but horsy stuff might be better – guess it will depend how much time I get this weekend then. Shoe polish under the sink – renapur in a shop somewhere.
epicyclo – where d’you buy tweed undies 😯

sounds like shoe polish will do the job but horsy stuff might be better – guess it will depend how much time I get this weekend then. Shoe polish under the sink – renapur in a shop somewhere.
epicyclo – where d’you buy tweed undies 😯

We used to use shoe polish too.

Brooker99 – Member
epicyclo – where d’you buy tweed undies

Advantages of being a Highland Scot, they are a family heirloom, woven by my greatgranny on the Isle of Harris over 100 years ago. Still in perfect condition apart from some shrapnel holes from the Battle of Loos and associated staining.

Doesn’t everybody wear them?