Originally Posted by Gordiep

The flaps on the B-17 are engineered as structural components of the saddle. They provide stiffness to the 'hammock' your keester rides on. If you push down on a B-17, you can see the flaps spread apart. As the saddle ages and the leather becomes more supple, the saddle will lose some stiffness; some people add laces to stiffen it up (plus they look cool).

I didn't mean to be rude, but I don't understand the 'cutting' phenomenon. The Swallow-type Brooks' look wicked ugly to me, not to mention uncomfortable. Unless you are racing your bike and absolutely need to shave every ounce from your ride, cutting your saddle will give you little benefit, but will probably reduce its life-span. But it's your $70; do what you want.

Oh, and a few liberal applications of Proofide will darken the Brooks down significantly, and will keep the leather nice and healthy.