AngryScientist 

i'm looking for a particular style leather saddle, i've seen them before, but i dont know the brand.

show off your leather, and give me some ideas!

Squirrelli

Maybe a Brooks B-17?

or a Brooks Swallow?

Scrodzilla

sooprvylyn

I will as soon as I get home, I have a custom red Stingray Skin Brooks B-17. Yep did it myself.

AngryScientist 

whats the first one?

stillanimal

looks like: https://cgi.ebay.com/Gyes-Leather-Bik...#ht_1225wt_941

sooprvylyn

sooprvylyn

Ok, so here is my custom made(by me) Red Stingray Leather Brooks B17. It took me about 3 days to make. Steps:

Supplies:
Old Brooks Saddle
Stingray Leather
Barge Cement
Artificial Sinew
Copper Rivets

Tools
Drill or Dremel with bits
Ball Peen Hammer
Anvil
Rivet setter
whench(adjustable)

How to:

1. Wet the stingray leather and stretch it over the brooks saddle tightly and allow to dry. Trim excess leather(with VERY sharp blade) leaving 1/2 inch border between saddle and leather, then remove the dry skin. The skin will be semi hard and molded to the saddle shape.
2. Use drill to remove the original rivets from the Brooks saddle from underside
3. Remove the frame from the saddle
4. Sand the top of the old saddle to remove oil and dirt buildup and create a surface to bond the new leather to
5. Liberally spead Barge Cement on the Brooks saddle top that you just sanded and also the underside of the Dried stingray skin and allow to dry about 10 mins.
6. Carefully put the skin back on the saddle starting at the center to line it up and work the skin outward while pressing them together. and allow to dry 30 mins while reapplying pressure often.
7.drill holes around perimeter of saddle about 1/4 inch apart and at least 1/8 inch away from edge
8. Use Sinew to lace the two pieces of leather together and tie it off.
9. Use the new rivets to reattach the frame to the saddle. Use a ball peen hammer on the heads to give them that cool hand set look.

VOILA!!!

They will show you at the leather store how to use the tools and rivets correctly

THis whole project cost me about $150, next time I will use a Professional or a Swift

Enjoy



and the bike





Can you tell I'm proud?

destikon

It would be cooler if the links to your pics worked.

sooprvylyn

Mother father, I cant get the dang pictures to show. WTF is this so hard?

Here are links to the pics for those interested. Thanks

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nichola...87442950/show/

sooprvylyn

BTW I actually use my bike so please excuse the scuffs from riding.

sooprvylyn

There we go

sharpsandflatts

this thread iz murder

Squirrelli

The rivets look like they are sticking out of the saddle a bit, does it tickle when you pedal?

TofuPowered

That's disgusting.

LosAngelesRidin

I only have fake leather

bleedingapple

OMFG!! I love your bike!! That thing is nothing but sick.... Also I have been thinking for the longest time about using stingray skin, that stuff lasts forever... My only worry was that it will chew through your pants really fast. At least thats what the guys at the leather shop told me, if I were to not have leather pants or a matching stingray skin pad... anyway that is super sweet, makes me want to build up another cross bike again...

ilikebikes

Ray skin = ripped pants and scratched up ass cheeks. I have a few Japanese swords that have ray skin grips, glad they are also wrapped in leather! Your saddle looks nice though. ;0)

johnce

here's one......brooks pro..


[IMG]https://i909.photobucket

sooprvylyn

You are misinformed my friend. I have had this saddle in use for 6 months and never have I had any problems with ripped pants or scratched up ass cheeks. The leather's surface is smooth like little pearls, not rough like shark skin. The other benefit is that Ray leather is super tough and waterproof. This bike has seen its share of spills and the saddle surface has held up very well.

johnce

Opps...anyway..

sooprvylyn

I assume you are referring to the use of an "exotic" leather on my saddle. It may please you to learn that Stingray leather is actually a byproduct from the food industry, so save your environmentalism for a legit cause.

sooprvylyn

Beautiful, always loved the leather wraps to go along with the saddle.

sooprvylyn

Dude, I've worn everything from denim to twill to spandex on this saddle. Whoever told you that stingray will eat through your pants is nuts. The surface is smooth like pearls, the only thing I need to fix is resetting the rivets, they arent as flush as I'd like em, but they still dont get in the way at all, its more cosmetic than anything.

edit: That being said, I wouldnt leave raw edges where they will rub on you, the scales are hard bone and the cut edges are a little rough, but as long as it covers the whole saddle and you bind the edges down like I did you are fine.

Doohickie

Wrights W3.N

sooprvylyn

@ all Vegetarians and Vegans who feel the need to bash those of us who use leather saddles:

Do you really think that you dont use animal byproducts EVERY SINGLE DAY of your life? There are byproducts in just about everything that is not made out of metal, this includes rubbers and plastics. Any clothing you wear is made at the expense of living creatures, do you think that cotton and hemp farmers aren't killing vermin who destroy their crops with pesticides and animal traps? Do you think the man made materials like nylon and spandex are made without sending toxins into the environments of animals, killing them off and ruining thier quality of life? If you think you go through life without contributing equally to the destruction of life on this planet then you live in a dream land.

Using animal Byproducts to make useful items is in fact MORE responsible then just letting those products go to waste. The Bushmen in africa, the Native Americans, the Aborigines of Austrailia and every other close to nature culture in human history has put animal biproducts to use since the dawn of time. GET OVER YOURSELVES or at least stop preaching to the rest of the world!