I used to do fine with a leather seat when I was younger (40 years ago), so I ordered a Brooks Imperial 6 years ago with high confidence that it would work for me. I found the cutout of too small. It's not a panacea. If the B17 hurts, I wouldn't buy the B17 Imperial without a return guarantee. I'd look for something with a bigger cutout - Selle SMP? Selle Italia?