also, read what Brooks says about how much Proofide to use and how often. I don’t know what can go wrong using materials other than Proofide, but why not just use Proofide, if it’s all the same? Brooks recommends it, controls the formula, has done so for about 100 years, and still does.

if you poke around on their website you can find where they talk about “care” and download a print of a bit of the webpage.

Ok, I am corrected. I was mixing it up with a restoration procedure that was also recently shared with me.

It is because of the type of leather used.

Brooks use a thick vegetable-tanned leather. It is stiff (think boot sole leather). Chrome tanned leather is soft and flexible (clothing, upholstery)
This ability to hold its shape is property they want to use in the saddle design. They soak it in water, wet form it over a mould, then let it dry. It holds its shape.
This sets that out from 5m 9 sec

Chrome tanned leather does not do that.
In 'breaking-in" a new saddle, you need to mould it to suit your sit bones. This will happen with time and humidity from close contact when you sit on the saddle. The leather will reshape at the pressure points, until the weight is distributed evenly.
There are so many threads on this forum dealing with the use of various leather dressings and personal favourite treatments which are, in my opinion, not suitable for the type of leather used in this application.

You can get it to readily mould to your shape by oversoftening the leather with treatments designed for other applications, but that will irrevocably weaken the leather and it will no longer handle the tension required by the saddle design.
Brooks advise:I have been given a number of near-new saddles excessively treated with Proofide, and the then the leather stretched to the point where the tension bolt was at its limit. And it still sagged under the owners weight. His loss, my gain. I recovered it with new leather, 6mm vegetable tanned leather treated sparingly with Proofide.

Using a dampened cloth and then going for a short ride makes use of the wet forming capacity of vegetable-tanned leather. I have also suggested it.

But you need to use a saddle that has a chance of being comfortable. For this, you need to measure your sit bones and get a saddle that fits and is designed for your riding style. This is a useful guide. Then select the saddle from the Brooks range. And then treat it in accordance with the manufacturers advice, and not follow advice found on an online forum.

Seriously, what would an Australian know about riding a British saddle in North America?

Soaking the leather for an hour allows for it to be reshaped. Just don't put any weight on it or use the tension bolt when the leather is wet.
I have posted some notes to show the steps
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...reshaping.html