Some of us can't think of anything but carbo-loading...

I think Proofide smells especially nice, too. :)

I suggest that Brooks put a can of Proofhide in the box with each saddle they ship. The extra cost would be very little, I would think less than $1.00 U.S. per saddle. This would improve Brooks' reputation, as customers would not wreck their saddles with neatsfoot oil and then blame Brooks for producing a poor product. And it would prevent skeptics like me from accusing Brooks of 'branding'.

I imagine heating a heavily treated saddle for an extended period of time would be the equivalent of braising a tough cut of meat for dinner. Long periods of high temps while immersed in a liquid will break down connective tissues in the meat making it easier to chew or make a saddle too flexible.

Isn't it printed on the tin?


I heated an upside down Brooks (Pro) in the oven just to the wax melting point and the leather soaked up a big dollop, like a sponge .
then I rode on the saddle , that job was done almost 40 years ago.

Now that someone has dredged up a 7 year old thread:

I recommend Lexol, but rubbed in sparingly on the underside, and allowed to soak in for a matter of minutes - not hours. I think any similar leather conditioning product would work if used this way. The full immersion and heat method is what's potentially damaging to the saddle.

I always wonder "why" people insist on using something different than what the manufacturer recommends using. If you have no experience without what is first suggested, then how to you learn what is better or worse? Just reading on the forum will only give anecdotal information.

Agreed. But even when old stuff gets resurrected, new people to the forum will read it, and not necessarily look to see how old the thread is. Personally, I used the Proofide. It is what the manufacturer recommends, and I have no experience otherwise. The one thing that annoyed me after using it, was that it turned my royal blue saddle black. So what was the sense of buying a blue one with matching bar tape. grrrrrr.

Dman, Im just noticing you live in San Diego. Lucky guy you are. I was stationed on 32nd Street for a year, then moved up the coast to Camp Pendleton for 2 years. Love the area and miss it a lot!

So do you dip your chain in melted wax or do you use a home brew of mineral spirits and synthetic motor oil?

I resurrected the thread. It's all my fault. :-D I'm also trying to build up my post count. I like to rebuild older bikes and searching for leather saddle info. I'm also a culinary student so the idea of heating a leather saddle intrigued me. I don't like the idea of putting it in the oven, though. I'd rather use a hair dryer set on low.

IDK, I just read the instructions that came with my Brooks saddle. Twice. T h r e e times. Nope, can't find the part where it says hair dryer. I don't get it. What part of being a culinary student has anything to do with heating a leather saddle? This meat is so dead…... it's like shoe leather-you can't resurrect this man! :)

check my previous post

I agree. No brainer.

Thanks Relaxin. Got it/get it, now.

I use Obenaufs Heavy Duty LP on all leather products. The day it ruins something I will change that logic.

As far as the cost of using Proofide, I have had the larger tin for 3 or 4 years and simply cannot imagine ever needing another. I apply to my brooks twice per year, and as someone mentioned a pea sized chunk will do the saddle, there are literally hundreds of application in the tin - pennies per application. Brooks suggested keeping it in the freezer until needed, which should keep it from getting rancid over time - I just set it out the day before I use it. I don't recall the exact cost but I assume that I spend as much on lunch - seems a small price to pay for caring for a hundred dollar saddle that fits my butt :-) IMHO - get the small tin unless you have a heard of saddles to care for, you will likely never use it all.

just buy some and move on