Originally Posted by
RubeRad
Also, the vintage Ideale leather saddle is pretty dried out, but I'm hoping it should respond well to the right treatment. Is "Proofide" the only way, or are there generic/cheaper options? (Vaseline? baseball glove treatments?)
Avoid Vaseline, baseball glove, and other mineral oil based treatments, as these will degrade the leather by softening it too much. Softness may be a virtue in a baseball glove, but it's not in a saddle, which needs to be able to support your weight. If you don't want to spring for Proofide, I've found SnoSeal (beeswax in a volatile solvent) to work well without degrading the leather