Hiding/Blending scars on a leather saddle?
 

I bought a Motobecane Grand Jubilé recently:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9fd7625a_c.jpg

I haven't decided what to do with the bike (need it like another hole in my head, but it's my size). Keep it or not though, I will hang onto the Brooks Pro. As you can probably see, someone stuck a sticker to the top of the saddle once upon a time. There are also the usual scuffs around the edges (the worst one is facing away from the camera).

What can I do to try and hide the damage? I don't want to make it "like new," just reduce the prominence of the battle scars.

I would try leather cleaner/conditioner and then ride on it ... a lot. It will look better after a year.

Nice bike. You don't often see those jubile rear derailleurs, which can handle low gearing.

The leather would benefit from some burnishing/slicking.

Dampen the surface of the affected area, then rub vigorously with a smooth tool (eg back of a spoon) to force the fibres back down to the smooth finish.
This is the technique used to seal and smooth the cut edges of cut leather.
If you Google "leather burnishing" you will see how the edges are done, but the process is the same for the raised surface fibres.

When finished and it has dried, apply a treatment of Proofide to the saddle top.

You don't need a specialised burnishing tool, or a bone folder. Nor do you need to buy Gum Tragacanth. These make it easier when you do lots of burnishing; if you use water and the back of a spoon you will be able to get excellent results.
Post some close up before and after photos to guide others in the future.

Good stuff, @Big Block. I've only used Proofide in the past to help darken saddle scars, but that sounds more effective. :thumb:

Thanks @Big Block. Spoon and water, check. (I think I have plenty of both.)

Beautiful bike. Great contrast silver, chrome, black.

For the saddle, I would lightly use a 3M scuff pad to blend the darker to where the sticker once was. Then as its tone is lightened, would proceed with various tone Kiwi shoe polish and blend, darkening it.

Alas, the spoon-and-water burnishing didn't really work. The leather darkened immediately in several places, and it cracked:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9511248f_c.jpg

so I bought a 99¢ belt at Goodwill and am attempting to patch it with barge cement:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c136f64e_c.jpg

We'll see if that works. If not, I can always pass the frame along to @rhm for his spare parts bin.

Reynolds frame (3 tubes?), Huret derailleurs, TA crank, Normandy hubs (sport?), clincher rims, weinmann centerpulls, what's not to love about this bike?

Looks like the perfect bike for next year's Coppi ride.

I thought about bringing my early 70s Grand Record but I need to do some work on the cockpit so it fits me better (longer stem and wider bars). Still that TA crank makes the gearing question a lot easier.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...66a02b27bd.jpg

One word: Rudi

I know it's not popular but when I get one like this I try to evaluate if this is a danger, in other words I guess, err on the side of caution and apply a leather dressing that I trust very much that has kept this from happening several times. Yes they become soft. That being said, if it's scary I religate it to show or light duty so it can coast through retirement and leave the real work to the younger lads. ;)