[CR]Exotic saddle materials (redux)

(Example: Events:Eroica)

From: "R.S. Broderick" <rsb000@hotmail.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Exotic saddle materials (redux)
Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:28:14 -0600
cc: Stronglight49@aol.com
cc: Stronglight49@aol.com

...Let's try that again using a slightly different email server (...my apologies for the previous junk):

Tam (…and Nick, and Bob, by virtue of the personalized courtesy copies I am also sending),

For whatever it may be worth, I would like to draw your attention to the following catalog reprint:

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/broderir/Catalogs-Posters/3ttt/1974-10/Page+06.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

So, while I may stand corrected in my previously held belief that only the 3ttt model #30 Superleggero was available having a seal skin cover, I will also stand by my original assessment as to the origins of the hide itself.

Regards,

Robert “don’t just guess – go to the source” Broderick …the “Frozen Flatlands” of South Dakota Sioux Falls, USA

P.S. This communication is also being forwarded to the CR List for archival purposes, realizing full well that the picture attachments otherwise referenced below will be stripped in the process of it being posted to that forum.

-----Original Message----- From: R.S. Broderick [mailto:rsb000@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 4:18 PM To: 'Tam Pham' Subject: RE: [CR]Exotic saddle materials

Tam,

Attached you will find those very photographs for the seal skinned 3ttt Superleggero that I used in my recent eBay auction listing. As such, they have been re-sized from original specifically to suit that venue. Should you have need of higher resolution photographs, I can also provide those to you upon request.

With respect to the images themselves, you will notice that the original gold/yellow 3ttt and SL logos which appear at the lower portion of the side skirts are only barely visible after having been almost completely worn away through use. There are also discernable "lean to" abrasions to be found on the rear portions of the saddle. To get an even better view of the unusual surface texture, you may need to import these photographs individually into your preferred photo editing software and thereafter play with the color balance and hue options.

As for that Mike Fraysse elephant ear saddle, I too thought long and hard about scheduling a snipe bid. But in the end, I concluded that I would be better served to go after the Ideale “Swallow cut” model 88 that Ray Dobbins had up for sale on eBay at the very same time since it would be the absolute perfect substitute for the Ideale 90 Speciale which would have originally been fitted to my latest project bike. Of course, as fate would have it, two highly motivated individuals drove the price of Ray’s Ideale over $400.00 USD (…the highest price I have seen a used example of that saddle fetch yet on eBay and actually more than all but two NOS versions I have seen sold there as well) such that my snipe in the $300.00 range never even fired. In the mean time, that Fraysse Paris-Sport saddle went for a pittance with only a single bidder participating in the auction. Oh well....

Regards,

Robert

-----Original Message----- From: Tam Pham [mailto:terminaut@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 3:42 PM To: R.S. Broderick Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]Exotic saddle materials

Hi Robert,

I think you've probably solved the mystery and thanks for the interesting history on 3ttt and Greenpeace's involvement in denouncing the saddles. You're correct about the logo on my saddle being just the silver 3ttt sans SL.

As for the elephant ear saddle, I was a bit surprised at the low-ish selling price also. I would have put in a bid but forgot to enter it into my auction sniper software in time.

Cheers, Tam Pham

Huntington Beach, CA - USA

On Nov 7, 2007 11:54 AM, R.S. Broderick <rsb000@hotmail.com> wrote:

Tam,

That looks to be the very same unusual seal skin covering that is normally associated with the earliest examples of 3ttt Superleggero saddles (...guaranteed to offend absolutely everyone in the Greenpeace crowd - much to the chagrin of 3ttt no doubt, Greenpeace used to advertise in the likes of Bike World denouncing the brutal clubbing of those ever so cute baby seals which were ostensibly being killed for their neophyte white fur and not their tough and waterproof hide which rather came from adult mammals). Unless my eyes are completely shot, the 3ttt logo on yours appears to be silver and not gold and is absent the distinguishing "SL" markings, which would make this the first non-Superleggero model I have seen sporting this type of covering.

I rode a slightly modified 3ttt Superleggero for both many years and many miles back in the mid to late 1970's and still find the SL to be my saddle of preference from that era. In addition to being extremely durable, the other compelling advantage of the seal skin covering was that it was essentially impervious to the damp and often chilly climes of the Great Northwest (...the likes of which would hasten the demise of "lesser" leather saddles that now fetch much higher prices in collector circles) such that I could ride right on through the pouring rain and never once concern myself about trying to keep my saddle dry or having to treat its leather covering either in preparation or after the fact.

I once queried this list in search of one or more replacements for my old 3ttt seal skinned SL, but to no avail. Since that time, I have been fortunate enough to snap up a few here and there via eBay so that I should now be set for the rest of my riding days. In fact, I even saw fit to offer my original slightly battle scarred example to the CR List on the cheap, and when everyone here expressed an underwhelming interest, I sold it off on eBay to a gentleman over in Japan. If you would be interested in having me forward to you "OFF LIST" pictures of my old saddle from said eBay auction listing so that you might confirm it's unique covering as being an exact match for your saddle, I would be more than happy to do so.

Regards,

Robert "Tecno Tubo Torino" Broderick ...the "Frozen Flatlands" of South Dakota Sioux Falls, USA

P.S. Yes indeed, I did monitor the original eBay auction in question for the rare elephant ear version Paris-Sport saddle offered by Mike Fraysse. Quite frankly, I was stunned to see it close at its opening price after having elicited only one bid. I know more than a few high-end custom pool cue artisans - several of which even occasionally offer their many multi-thousand dollar wares with such trappings as elephant ear wraps - and I can tell you that this material is now exceedingly rare, highly durable, and very, very expensive. From that perspective alone, the auction winner for that Paris-Sport saddle was most fortunate in their purchase.

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>From: "Tam Pham" <terminaut@gmail.com>
>To: CR <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org >
>Subject: [CR]Exotic saddle materials
>Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 10:16:25 -0800
>
>Did anyone else see the elephant ear leather saddle that was on eBay
>recently? Here's a link to it:
>
>http://ebay.com/<blah>
>
>Upon seeing that I was reminded of another unusual saddle in my garage and
>thought I'd check the list to see if someone is able to identify the cover
>material. It's an old 3TTT saddle and a detailed photo of it can be seen
>here:
>
>http://www.chainedrevolution.com/images/bikes/misc/3tttsaddle.jpg
>
>Cheers,
>Tam Pham
>Huntington Beach, CA - USA