Classic & Vintage - How do vinyl repair kits work on saddles?

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epicurean
10-25-07, 04:32 PM
I was hoping to pick up a vinyl repair kit to fix a couple of torn saddles, and was mildly surprised to find the kit costs $16.00 at my local hardware store. Before I spring for it, I was hoping to get some feedback on the effectiveness of this type of kit. The kit uses a "heat transfer tool." Are these easy to use--and are they effective for repairing saddles? Thanks!

East Hill
10-26-07, 10:17 AM
I haven't used one, but I would think it would be difficult to use one to repair a saddle properly, saddles being small, with a lot of stress points.

Anyone else?

East Hill
bigbossman
10-26-07, 12:18 PM
I've never used on either. But it's not too hard to recover a saddle, depending on how it's made. Most saddle covers are stapled onto the shell underneath. So, it is just a matter of pulling the staples, using the old cover as a template to cut a new one, and re stapling. All you need is a staple gun, a pair of needle nose pliers, and a pair of scissors. A little time consuming, but not too hard.

I've done it a few times with good success. I don't bother with it anymore unless it is an emergency - I've gotten pretty good at sniffing out cheap saddles (no pun intended!) at swap meets, thrifts, and bargain bins, so I have a pretty good reserve pile going on.