They do change, especially with exposure to moisture.

I just finished #102 a couple days ago, a Wrights/Brooks narrow frame, the leather patterned after a 1959 Brooks Swallow I worked on a few years ago. For something new, I tried freehand embossing a swallow design on the top.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Q...201_115927.jpghttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D...201_115934.jpg

As you can see, the color is uneven at this stage; for some reason the nose is a little darker than the rest. I don't know why that is, but I expect it will all even out over time. Within a couple years, with use, it will turn a rich dark reddish brown.

I'll be posting it on the 'for sale' forum as soon as I can remember the highest number I can think of.

Rudi,

Sweet!!!!! Very nice! Did you attach the middle underside with an "apron" (???) like Brooks does with their Swallow?

It's called an apron?

I think Brooks has done this a couple different ways over the years. I have in my hands, at the moment, a Swallow dated C60 on which the leather has two tabs that meet under the center of the saddle, where they are riveted to a small steel plate (about 1 ¹/4" x 1¹/8"). So this saddle is done the same way, except that the plate is copper, rather than steel, but you can't see it anyway.

I was guessing as to what to call it. "Tabs" sounds a lot better then "apron." :p

I don't know all the correct terminology either, Bob! I may have made that term up. Whatever. Here's a photo of the underside of the saddle:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V...2019.32.44.jpg

Here's a few photos of my #2 saddle, showing how the color of the leather has changed over time.

When I first cut it from the hide, it was a light tan. Here it is with the saddle I was restoring:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J...2/IMG_5484.JPG

To form the leather, I have to soak it. This photo was taken around Sept. 1, 2011.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w...2/IMG_5487.JPG

Being wet seems to reactivate the tannins that remain in the leather after it's been tanned; so as it dries on the last, the color already starts changing:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m...2/IMG_5492.JPG

Initially it dries pretty fast, but it takes a while for the last of the moisture to evaporate. As it dries, the color changes unevenly. I'm guessing this was somewhere around September 10.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i...2/IMG_5499.JPG

By October the saddle was in use on my commuter bike:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T...2/IMG_5522.JPG

About a half year later, I had to replace the rivets. I also embossed a design on the side:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6...0/IMG_6760.JPG

By now, several thousand miles later, the color is an even dark brown. I should take it outside and get a better photo, but this gives you the idea:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a...0/IMG_6761.JPG