Works for me. I have B-17s on three bikes, and the only time I think of them is twice a year when I smear them with Proofhide.
Be careful with those thunderstorms, though. If you ride a wet Brooks, you can permanently deform that sucker and it'll never be the same. They make covers for them (another reason to check Rivendell's Website), but they leak and don't guard against splashing from the wheels. I carry a heavyish plastic grocery bag in my seat bag in the rainy season. You can drape it over the saddle, with a piece of tube or string holding the open end around the post if you want. It gives 100 percent protection, and you can't feel it at all.