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A friend gave me an Imperial that he didn't like. I don't think he put very many miles on it, so I don't think he broke it in or that it conformed to him at all, so I'm sure my issues with the saddle aren't that. He did put one coat of Proofide on the outer surface of the saddle but not the underside.
When I first started riding it, it felt like a rock hard plastic saddle. It was awful. I was riding 100 miles a week, riding 7 days a week, so my rear end was pretty well conditioned before I put it on. It took a couple of weeks before it improved a tiny amount from feeling like stiff, HARD plastic to something slightly more forgiving. I didn't note exactly when I mounted it, but I must have put about 700 miles on it now, if not closer to a thousand. It's improved a little more, but not a whole lot, it still isn't comfortable. My decade old, $35 gel, anatomic, double sprung, Serfas saddle is still far more comfortable, as was my first Selle Anatomica, but unfortunately neither of those saddles are compatible with my Carradice quick release bag support, so I am soldiering on, trying to break in my Brooks. You'd think 700+ miles would be enough!
What did really surprise me, was the change I noticed when I upgraded seat posts. I'd been using the old, cheap style (two 14mm nuts) seat posts forever, but I suspected that the narrow clamping area contributed to the failure of a saddle rail on another saddle, and was hoping that the fine tuning available from a better seat post would help with the Brooks.
Now, even though I had been using a cheap seatpost, I was aware of all the advice about getting a Brooks to exactly the perfect angle for you, and had managed to get the saddle perfect. I actually continued using the cheap seatpost for at least another month after my Thomson came in the mail because I was loath to start that process all over!
Interestingly, though, as soon as I mounted the better seatpost the saddle actually felt a little better! Even though I didn't have it dialed in perfectly (and am still working on that! Again!), there was a noticeable improvement in the way the saddle felt. I can't explain it, but it was discernible. I'm still not happy with it, but I'm going to give it a while longer before I throw in the towel and try a Terry Liberator.
Speaking of throwing in the towel, what is this wet washcloth trick folks are talking about? I've read a lot of Brooks threads hoping to glean some insight, I think this is the first I've heard of this. Which is surprising, because I've heard some crazy ideas (dipping in a bucket of motor oil, etc)!
The friend who gave me the saddle told me it was dark green, but it looks black. He said that is from the Proofide. At this point, I'm wondering if I should give it another coat? It is starting to become scuffed/worn through the black color in places, and although I do run full length fenders with long mudflaps, and use a saddle cover when I park outdoors, I do commute every day except during the summer, and it often rains a fair amount here, so it is going to get wet some, even if I do stay in the saddle most of the time.
I appreciate the contributions to this thread, like I said, I've read a number of other Brooks threads here before, and this is the first time I've noticed some people saying it has taken them 500-1000 miles to break them in. Of course, some people are comfortable on them much sooner, but it is actually encouraging to me, given my circumstances, to hear from the folks that it took longer. All the other threads, it seemed everyone was saying it should be broken in much sooner and you were either doing it wrong, or not suited to a Brooks if it wasn't wonderful right away or in 200 miles or less.
FWIW, I ride converted mountain bikes, with a pretty upright stance.