Bone Machine

Of course Brooks recommends that only Proofide be used on leather saddles. I'm wondering what other manufacturers (Ideale, Wrights, etc.) recommended for their saddles. Does anyone have any literature from other makers indicating what should be used on their saddles?

Chombi1 

What works for one saddle maker, usually works for another. I doubt if the properties of their leather is that different from one another......so cheapskate me just uses the Berthoud saddle wax on my Brooks Pro and Imperial saddles with no problems, so far.

Bone Machine

Yeah, that's why I'm asking. I've read dozens threads debating the merits of Proofide. I'm sure the other manufacturers wouldn't endorse a competitor's product. So what did they recommend?

Dfrost 

Obenauf's is frequently recommended, and it seems very similar toGilles Berthoud's saddle treatment. It's also much easier to apply than Proofide.

johnny99

I owned a couple of leather saddles back in the 1970s. The local bike shop recommended Proofide for all brands of leather saddles. Some people used neatsfoot oil (which was then a popular treatment for baseball gloves).

dweenk 

I use pure neatsfoot oil sparingly on saddles because I was cautioned that it does soften the leather. Also, there are two grades of neatsfoot - 100% pure, and one that is blended with petroleum distillates.

Bone Machine

I asked my question out of pure curiosity. I use Proofide myself. I have nine Brooks saddles and several bikes with Brooks handlebar tape, and have used it on all of them.
A company like Ideale that sold millions of leather saddles, must have told their customers how to take care of them.
I'm just wondering if anyone knows what they (or other makers) recommended.

cdmurphy

This is kind of a polarizing topic. The correct answer is somewhere probably somewhere between "Only Proofhide", and "Anything oily will be fine".

Muddying the waters even further, Proofhide has changed formulations over the years, and in "ye olden days" Brooks even recommended neatsfoot oil, or other common dressings. (Back in the 20s-30s, before they introduced Proofhide).

Leather dressings provide two general benefits: 1) They replace oils that evaporate and or polymerize into varnishes. Not enough oils allow the fibers to oxidize, and can lead to brittleness, and eventual cracking. 2) They provide surface protection or gloss. Usually through some sort of wax that remains on the surface after the oils / solvents evaporate and are absorbed. Buffing will bring out a shine, and give it some water resistance.

Which product to use depends a bit on the condition of the leather. If it is really dry and neglected, something like Aussie Dressing, or Obernaufs would be a good choice. If the leather is still in pretty good shape, Proofhide seems to supply minimal oils, but quite a bit of wax. I tend to use the oily stuff to resuscitate saddles, and Proofhide for general (once or twice a year) maintenance.

rhm

I agree 100%.

We can't talk about Proofide, and how to use it, as if it's always the same thing. The color, smell, purpose and instructions have changed over the years. I have come to the conclusion that Brooks customers were willing to pay extra for any stuff to smear on their saddle as long as it came with a Brooks endorsement, and the marketing department at Brooks didn't want to leave money on the table.

It's harmless, if used in moderation, but it's a surface treatment. It will not make an old saddle new again.

As for Idéale... this is a little off topic, but... they used several different leather treatments over the years. "Speciale" and "Professional" and "Competition Speciale" were various leather treatments applied at the factory, along with the stamps indicating "impermeable" and the like. "Type Record" was, in contrast, leather that has not been treated in one of those ways. I wish I could say more about this, but that's the limit of my understanding.

Salamandrine 

The hard truth is people used saddle soap. No fancy schmancy special preparations. If it was good enough for a baseball glove or shoe or horse saddle, it was good enough for a bike saddle. I also recall there being a big can of neatsfoot oil in the back of Velo Sport in Berkeley, for desperately hard saddles. I don't really remember Idéale recommending anything. For that matter I don't remember Brooks recommending anything until their relatively recent revival, though I suppose proofide has been around a long time.

Bandera

"1933: Proofide joins the Brooks product range"

https://www.brooksengland.com/en_us/timeline