Sorry to dredge up an old post but I just did a cut-out on a VO saddle and am psyched. Brooks saddles have gone up in price considerably and some VO saddles are available for $65 (that's what I paid for the VO clone of the Brooks Flyer). I just did a slightly longer Imperial-style cutout on it. I made it about 140mm long instead of 125mm; its 25mm wide at its widest point and tapers to about 10mm. Originally it felt pretty good and now it feels even better. It's not perfect but it looks pretty good for a first effort.