Steve Maas wrote:
>
> I have a Wright's leather saddle. It is in basically good condition,
> except that the sides along the nose, which should be vertical, are
> splayed out at an angle. I would like to make them vertical again.
>
> The standard "fix" is to wet the leather, clamp it in shape, and let it
> dry completely. This trick has worked for me with other leather saddles.
> However, I made a fundamental mistake with this one: when I got the
> saddle, it was very dry, so I oiled it heavily before trying to
> straighten the leather. Now, it's nice and supple, but I can't get it to
> soak up any water. So, when I try this trick, it just springs back to
> the splayed shape in a couple of days.
>
> Anyone have any suggestions?
Do like everyone did "back in the day": Punch a row of holes in the edge of the flaps and lace them together. You can do as few as two in each side or a whole bunch of them. Lace from side to side not around the lower edge. If you go around the lower edge it will bend and eventually crack the leather along the holes.
I've laced a few myself and it is a great look!
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, CA
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