Thing is, VO and Cardiff are the only competitors with remotely comparable products, and neither option is all that much cheaper. I don't know about Cardiff, but VO saddles had some quality control issues at the outset. Brooks has been delivering a high-quality product for a very, very long time, so if you're going to shell out this kind of money for a saddle, why not go with them? If cash is the issue, there's a heap of much more affordable, perfectly functional saddles out there.