Freerojo

I own 3 Brooks saddles, 2 of which is the B17. I love them. However, my first B17 has the 2 outside rivet edges protruding and I can feel them riding. Has anyone dealt with this issue on their own if so, what did you do to remedy the problem?



in the photo you can clearly see the rivet edge protruding slightly above the leather while the one to its right is seated properly.



doesn’t look like it was ever sunk.



the other side is the same when you look at the 5 o’clock position you can see it is clearly raised.

jadmt

Brooks tells you to just hammer it back in place. They mention it on their website...

Freerojo

They mention that for the copper rivets, mine is steel.

jadmt

a rivet is a rivet.. I have used aluminum, plastic, steel etc and they all work the same way. put some support under the saddle and strike the rivet. if you you have a brass rod all the better.

Freerojo

I thought at first that you were suggesting to work the steel rivet edges as if they were softer copper.

So, I should center the impact on the rivet to drive it straight?

jadmt

if it were mine I would strike which ever side I was easiest to have good support on the opposite side if that makes sense. I would want the opposite side of the rivet on a solid object. I would also use a brass drift if I was striking the top side and probably even the bottom side. Should not take a lot of force to squash them back in place.

ThermionicScott 

I have filed down high edges on Brooks rivets. Just be careful of the surrounding leather -- I put down painter's tape and check it every couple swipes.

Moe Zhoost

It's like that on a few of my saddles. I have bumped copper rivets a bit to ease down the corners; however I don't bother with the steel ones. If you are not snagging your shorts on them, just leave them be.

pdlamb

Those tilted rivets get uncomfortable, and with a bit more tilt, they will start snagging shorts.

I tried to hammer a steel rivet back into alignment, but I ended up replacing the saddle.

drlogik 

If you have a flat end steel punch, use a hammer and tap the edge down with the punch to round it over. Using a hammer alone 'could' loosen the rivet. The punch concentrates the impact just to the edge of the rivet.

50PlusCycling

You must use an anvil on the backside of a rivet when you are installing and/or tightening a rivet. Not a ordinary blacksmith’s anvil, but a piece of hard metal placed behind the rivet when you beat down the head. You can use an extension from a socket set as an anvil.

Bug Shield

Look at the under side of the saddle and see if the rivet is starting to pull through. You can try to tighten it up as noted above but IMHO the steel rivets on Brooks saddles are pretty weak and there often isn't much left of the spread on the under-side in my experience (the bottom of the rivet spreads into a flower shape and petals break off). One saddle was bad enough that I replaced the hollow steel rivets with solid copper rivets and it's been bomber ever since. I've been meaning to do it to the rest of my Brooks saddles.

Speedway2

What a pain in the azz......