Derek,
Tony is not the only person who says Neatsfoot oil is not ideal for bicycle saddles. I have heard that since the early 70's. It's not a new view and it's not really that uncommon. Why Neatsfoot is not ideal, I do not know, off hand. But one thing I do know is that leather is a rather unique material with many amazing properties. How to get the best out of any given leather material may vary with the application and the type of leather (how it was tanned or treated along with what animal it came from) along with other factors such as age and how it may have been treated in the past.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
Tony
I am surrpised that you, of all people with such esteemed knowledge of all things Brooks, should deride Neats Foot Oil. Why is it that for decades pre-war, cycle riders used Neats Foot Oil on bicycle saddles prior to Proofide coming on the market? All the old cycling maintenace books I've ever read suggest Neat for conditioning saddles once a year or for reconditioning.
I would be interested in your reasoning for your comments.
Regards Derek Athey Honiton, Devon UK
On Sun, May 2, 2010 at 12:17 PM, Tony Colegrave
<tony_colegrave@hotmail.com>wrote:
> Bill,
>
> Application to different items of 'cycling heritage' will differ, of
> course, but I'd strongly advise against the use of neatsfoot, or any other
> such oil, on the traditional suspension-type cycle saddle - if you intend to
> ride the saddle, that is.
>
> Use of such stuff on horse saddles may well be fine (I'm doubtful, but
> have no practical experience), but it's use on cycle saddles, IMO, seriously
> impairs the cardinal virtues of leather for this specific purpose and it'll
> do harm to a good saddle, and nothing to improve a bad one - as well as
> messing any light-coloured clothing that you might be wearing in the 'saddle
> area'!
>
> Proofide, when used sparingly, will certainly do no harm and is probably
> beneficial (if only because it's occasional application might concentrate
> attention on the general condition of the saddle), but a far more important
> consideration is the environment in which the saddle is maintained when not
> in use - and the care with which it's treated when in use, of course.
>
> Periodic cleansing, to remove accumulated 'crud' (especially salt) and
> coincidentally re-hydrate the leather, will do much to prolong the life of a
> regular, frequent 'rider' - and you'll find that this is much less easy to
> accomplish if it's been 'treated' with oil, as well.
>
> Regards, Tony.
>
> > Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 18:43:15 +0100
> > From: devondirect@googlemail.com
> > To: bill.bgibson@gmail.com
> > CC: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> > Subject: Re: [CR] Leather Preservation and Restoration
>
> >
> > Hello Bill
> >
> > You can find a stockist of Brooks saddles and buy a tin of 'Proofide' a
> > specially formulated paste that you rub into the leather that preserves
> and
> > protects it from attack from your 'tush', sun and rain.
> >
> > Alternatively, go to a 'saddlery' (of which I think there must be
> thousands
> > in a state such as Arizona!) and buy some 'Neats Foot' oil, which is used
> to
> > protect and clean horse riding saddles. This can be a messy business, but
> > works well here in the UK. I use it all once ayear on my collection of
> > saddles.
> >
> > Good luck
> > Derek Athey
> > Honiton, Devon UK
> >
> > On Sat, May 1, 2010 at 6:21 PM, Bill Gibson <bill.bgibson@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > This topic comes up now and then, but products for and myths
> > > surrounding leather preservation and restoration come and go. Are
> > > there any good references, in print or online, that members have found
> > > useful as they use and preserve cycling heritage? Any general
> > > principles that apply? Saddles, gloves, shoes, toe clip straps all are
> > > exposed to sweat, wet, dirt, and sun, and all are more or less wear &
> > > tear items like tires and chains and everything else.
> > >
> > > Products that have served well should be currently available or have a
> > > recipe with ingredients that exist, not possess magical powers, and
> > > be reasonably priced, if possible! I'm comfortable with Chemistry, and
> > > am thinking this might be a good topic for a cycling centered article.
> > >
> > > There's a lot online, but I'm looking for some of your wisdom and
> > > experience to share! Thank You!
> > > --
> > > Bill Gibson
> > > Tempe, Arizona, USA
> > > _______________________________________________
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
>
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