Just got my Brooks B17 saddle (took less than a week from the UK to Aus).
My question - is there anything particularly special about the Brooks Proofide they recommend using, or can I use any good quality leather conditioner? The reason I ask is that I will have to order some in (can't seem to find anywhere local that stocks it), whereas I have a tub of Dubbin at home that I use on other Leather stuff and seems to work pretty well.
For the record, went for my first ride on the saddle last night (50km) and my butt was quite sore afterwards due to the hardness, but I will keep persevering!!

There are various things you can use.

I remember reading this article in the Rivendell reader, and I just went with Renaissance furniture wax since it's ultimately cheaper and does the trick beautifully.

Nashbar has proofride..

Shhhhh. Don't tell anyone.

Clear Dubbin is great. I've used it exclusively on both the B17 and Team Pro.

But for heaven's sake, DON"T TELL ANYONE I told you!!

(St Kilda Cycles in Melbourne stocks Proofide, but the tin is $10 and the P&H is $10. Err, no thanks. A tin of Dubbins does quite well, thank you very much).

Be aware that the use of anything other than Proofhide will invalidate your warranty. The danger with Dubbin and other products is that they can make the leather too soft and therefore can cause sagging.While Brooks frown on this I myself use a leather conditioner but you have to be very careful as too much can saturate the leather. So use one light coat and wait 24 hours before seeing how far it has penetrated.

A cobbler or boot merchant can hook you up. Tell them you don't really want to soften the leather. Neatsfoot oil is nice for shoes but it softens the leather a great deal. Get one tin of proofhide and see what it does, then when out of warrenty go to the cobbler and ask for something that gives similar results, maybe bring the last bit of the tin to compair.

Not that simple guys. Dreamy lives in Australia. To get a tin of Proofide costs as much as the postage -- the point I was making in my post.

Judicious use of Dubbin is fine, and he has it on hand. Believe me, my Team Pro has *not* suffered from oversoftening, and is never likely to. The B17 is getting to be a nice, comfy saddle, and I've only ever applied the Dubbin on top, never underneath. But then I also run mudguards.