rhm

So, you're looking at photos and trying to determine what to buy? It can be very hard to tell. If you're not familiar with leather saddles, and want to try one, bear in mind that a used saddle may give a very different experience from a new one. Serious damage to the leather may be invisible; it's not uncommon for an older saddle to tear in half without warning. It may have become too hard as a result of water damage or or from being dried out. It may have become too soft from use and abuse.

It can be difficult to tell the age of a saddle from photos. An 80 year old Brooks saddle may look very much like a new one, especially if it was never ridden; but that doesn't mean the leather is in good shape. The leather may look perfect but be so dried out that it has become brittle.


Going from very bad to not quite so bad, then:

Cracks or tears going from a rivet to the edge are irreparable. If the leather looks dry and crumbly, it probably is too far gone to support any weight.

If the leather is significantly shrunken, it's probably had repeated water damage and cannot be repaired.

If the tension nut at the nose has been tightened down, leaving visible threads between the nut and the actual nose, the leather has been stretched out; that's okay to some extent, but if the nut is near the end of adjustment, the leather is probably at or near the end of its useful life.

If the leather is visibly asymmetrical, it has probably shrunk unevenly; this cannot be corrected.

If the skirt has flared up, that is often a sign of water damage, but it is often possible to soak and reshape the leather there.

Missing rivets are not a good sign; but it is possible to replace them if the leather is still strong.

On most saddles, all the rivets are the same. If the rivets on the nose are different from those on the cantle plate, then some of them have probably been replaced. That may be good, or not so good; it depends why it was done, and how well it was done.

In general a shiny surface is a good sign, if the shine comes from the actual finish of the leather; but it may come from an excess of Proofide, or other leather dressing, applied by someone who was trying to turn back the clock. It won't work.

Visible dents in the back part of the saddle, where the rider's sit bones rest, are normal.

We don't talk appraisals here, but bear in mind a Brooks saddle frame and associated hardware, new, will cost $30-40 for a basic steel model, a lot more for titanium. If you can get a Brooks saddle with intact hardware for less than that, it may be worth it for the hardware. Spending much more than that is gambling.