Rob_E

Good call. But, hey, now Cambium's a thing, so maybe the OP would want to know.

nedb7

Then get rid of the old post if you don't want someone to ask a question.

seeker333

I would buy Cambium before another classic leather Brooks, so yes, it it not bad advice at all.

There are a few times I wish I had Mod permissions, this being one of them.

BigAura

I used Sno-Seal on my leather saddle and it lasted for 38 years. My more recently purchased Brooks leather saddles I've used Proofied. Picked up a Cambium about two years ago, for commuting, but have yet to tour on it.

nedb7

Thanks for the reply

Trevtassie

Nikwax water based waterproofing for leather. Either the liquid or the cream. Has an emulsified wax and a water repellent in it that coats the fibres in the leather. Hasn't softened my saddle after 10000km and it is now pretty well waterproof after repeated applications over time, I can use it in the rain like a plastic saddle. Even better it can be applied if you get your saddle wet, helps it dry out without damage. No animals in it either.

Doug64

I never used Mink Oil on a saddle, but I did use it on my work boots. It softens the leather.

Doug64

My new brooks did come with a small packet of Proofide.

phughes

I wouldn't use it personally. Mink oil will clog the pores of the leather, so it won't breathe. It also will soften the leather, something you don't want. It also may make it more attractive to animals. If you tour, it may get chewed on at night. May, I have no hard evidence for that, but I have heard stories.

Honestly, Proofide lasts a long time. I still have my original tin, from eight years ago, and still have plenty left. I use it on my saddle, and my leather bar tape. A little goes a long way. Over eight years, and more, it is incredibly cheap.

nedb7

thanks

nedb7

Thanks.. use it on my boots too.. great stuff and I have it,, just wondered if it worked on saddles. Overwhelming response, no.

MAK

Horse saddles are leather and you sit on them...My Brooks B-17 is leather and I sit on it. I use saddle soap (as recommended by some equestrians I know) from a local supply company and my B-17 and my butt are both happy.

djb

just so its clear to others, the diff here is that a horse saddle's leather sits on the horse, supported by the horse, so using a product that keeps the leather supple is not a problem "structurally wise".

leather bike seats are slung between rails, so we dont want the leather to be softened, and specifically want the main body of the seat to keep its shape. The dimples that form from our sitbones are the part that you want to change, so they support you in their "to you personal shape" way, but you dont want the rest of the seat to sag downwards.

saddlesoap, mink oil, etc oversoften the leather and it will sag.
Let your leather seat get soaked overnight in the rain and ride on it and it will sag.

we dont want sagging, plain and simple.
I have seen a guy with a one year old B17 that looked like it had 100,000kms on it, one of mine maybe has 10,000kms on it or less, not sure, but the sag is minimal and I really havent turned the tension bolt more than a half a turn in all these years.
Using proofide very sparingly, using a rain cover, not letting it get rained on, but just riding it has kept it in very good shape, and Im sure will be for many years to come.

bakerjw

I have nothing but leather saddles which are Brooks and Rivets. They have all been treated with mink oil.
It works for me and I put thousands of miles on them a year.

Darth Lefty 

Nearly any manufactured item is objectionable in some way or other.

djb

I honestly dont know the diff between mink oil and neats foot oil, but I do remember all those years ago when I got my first Brooks, reading stuff like this below , copied from their website.
I had a small tin of their stuff, and ten years later, there is still lots and lots of it left, so for me, it was a no brainer. Use what they recommend, dont use other stuff, and keep the structural integrity of my seats as best as I could over time. The years have proven , for me anyway, that what they suggest, and sparingly, is all that is needed, and I have very little sag in any them, so Im happy.

from their website presently:

Proofide is a tried and trusted product, the ingredients of which are known to Brooks. This is the only dressing, therefore, that we can endorse for use on a Brooks leather product. The use of any other product is frowned upon and will jeopardize your warranty rights.
Neat’s-foot oil, in particular, is known to have serious harmful effects on a Brooks saddle, weakening the inner fibres of the leather to the point where the leather is no longer strong enough to support the weight of a rider; it will also destroy the sheen finish of the leather.

j.postema

I use leather wax for shoes. I did use WD40 as well

djb

wd40?
I sometimes top up my motorcycle engine crankcase with shoe polish, so there you go!
;-)

Kjas64

Yes, a never ending thread. I also wonder what would make a cheaper treatment. But, on the other hand, we don't mind shelling out the bucks for a Brooks saddle and then balk at paying for proofide. Hilarious. I've been considering a good quality skin cream or lotion. Haven't tried either yet. I have an old champion narrow that is now a knickknack. No idea how old it is. 5 dollar yard sale find. My other two b17s are new.

phughes

Never ending thread because you resurrected it, by responding to a thread that had its last post two years ago.

Kjas64

Well, excuuuuse me. 😄 tight ass

Kjas64

Go whine to the admin. This sites full of tools anyway. Lol! 😄 buh bye

staehpj1

This thread was started in 2010. Man I wish they would lock old treads or at least flag them somehow when resurrected.

phughes

Then get resurrected by newbies who get aggressively angry when called upon it. It is different if the person resurrecting the thread has something substantive to add.

staehpj1

Yeah, I just don't get why they don't just lock them at some point. They could always be linked to if there was a good reason to refer to them.