I've had some very limited experience with this. But, before I go on, I should warn anyone with a sensitive "cringe" reflex to stop reading now.
I had an old Wrights saddle that was pretty dry, with the sides splayed out, but otherwise OK--no cracking or surface flaws. I tried the trick of soaking it in leather oil, but it absorbed so much that it was unpleasant to use. Greasy-tush syndrome, big time. Furthermore, I couldn't get the splayed sides to go back in. If I hadn't oiled the thing, I could have wet and clamped it, and it would have held the new shape nicely.
After trying a lot of things, I finally got frustrated, dumped the sucker into a bucket of water, and left it there for a day or so. By time I took it out, the water in the bucket had a thoroughly disgusting layer of dirty oil on top, and the saddle had absorbed some water, although quite a bit less than I would have expected. Embalming the thing in leather oil really provided a lot of protection against wetness. Finally, I clamped the sides down and let it dry. When I unclamped it, a couple ddays later, the sides stayed where I wanted them and the saddle had lost its greasyness. Success!
I hasten to say that I don't recommend this process. I describe it only for its value as a case study.
For what it's worth, the poor, long-suffering Wrights can be seen on my
Allegro at http://www.nonlintec.com/
Since then, I don't soak a hard, dry saddle in oil, but I do give it a heavy oiling with either Neetsfoot oil or baseball glove oil. It's important to do the underside, which can be oiled fairly heavily, then the top somewhat lighter. Be careful; you really can make a mess of things by over-oiling. I also use Brooks Proofide on the top sometimes; I think it makes the surface look nice but doesn't leave it feeling greasy.
Keep in mind that older saddles often have a nice patina. (I mean that in a positive way, not just as a euphemism for "old and beat up.") You want to soften the leather by oiling, but not so much that you ruin the nicely aged appearance. This is where oiling the underside fairly heavily helps a lot. However, I am not in favor of soaking it; I think it's not necessary and can create problems.
Steve Maas Long Beach California
David Bilenkey wrote:
> Anyone have any sure fire tricks to bring old dried leather saddles (Brooks
> and such) back to a usable state? At the moment I Proofhide any old saddles
> I come across, but I was wondering if anyone had any good way to
> 're-hydrate' these old saddles. I've read Sheldon's mention of soaking with
> Neatsfoot oil for breaking in a saddle, but I'm more interested in getting
> an old saddle that is dry back from the brink of the garbage bin. Is it
> possible? Would Neatsfoot oil help or is a dried out saddle a lost cause?
>
> Thanks for any pointers or suggestions,
>
> David Bilenkey
> Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
>
>
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