Custom saddle

what? thats a nice van!!

Im sure it is- especially to you :p ...its a little outta my league ;)

HQ! brings out the aussie in you :)

Well I could customise your kicks, I have done custom caps for a shop in london(when they were in Dublin) and custom painted shoes too. Ok I used the wrong paints but it looked cool.
I have done and still do loads of canvasses too.
Here is a link to my photobucket: http://s144.photobucket.com/albums/r191/stein-irl/

ciao Stein~ your photobucket link is private so I cant see it, where are you from? local or?

Sherpherd's Bush market perhaps. OK this story is 4 years old, but they might still be there

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/12_december/22/trainer_art.shtml

Oh yeah @skully, try putting the saddle into a deep cat-litter box full of builder's sand to support it when you're embossing. Wet the sand maybe.

where is that close to? thanks, I'll check it out!

I'm going to try using a laser cutter on my saddle. I'll let you know if it works

^ great, let me know^ thanks!

These sound like the same thing but it is hard to tell with no picture.
They also seem quite keep to me, if they are what I think.

Near the bottom of the page.
http://leprevo.co.uk/carving.html

Thanks for that tip atomic.a, the lettering embossers work a treat, I tried it out last night! A new string to my bow.

Slightly off target as I've already been surgeonised, but this is my saddle which i think is a Swift, because of the copper rivets. I bought it as seen and interestingly it has the letters AM on the rear, I think that must stand for Alexander Moulton. Obviously produced when he was in his prime!

Some weeks ago I punched a star into my Swallow. First I asked a Pro, but he refused so I had to do it myself - and I kind of failed! A test showed that instead of punching, squeezing the punch into the leather were easier to control - but the punch slipped sideways (at the top-end) and made an ugly imprint which I later tried to save by punching it up. Anyway the saddle is much more comfortable now (shortcutting some of the breaking in)?

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Nice bike jacob, and I forgot to compliment Skully on first class craftsmanship, making a good product better.

+1 what a lovely bike, jacob!

So is that star cut out, or just embossed? Surprised to hear it made a massive difference to the softness, but I suppose the saddle will flex in new ways if you cut right through it.

Thanks for praise, 50/14. Such a gent.

Love that bike Jacob.

Thanks - I have a few more pics posted here.

So is that star cut out, or just embossed? Surprised to hear it made a massive difference to the softness, but I suppose the saddle will flex in new ways if you cut right through it.
Just embossed.
I was surprised to - and I'm only (120lb)!
Maybe I ruined more than just the looks?

good embossing jobs, dont see a great deal of custom saddles around.

i like these:

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Looks good skully.

Hey Bellezza, I aint actually local I live in Dublin but if were to customise new saddles or whatever I could buy them here and send it over cheaply.

And my photobucket is now public:D

fyxo must've heard you:
http://www.fyxomatosis.com/news.php?readmore=1343
http://busymanbicycles.blogspot.com/ done by Mick Peel, Melbourne

Andy, since I know you're on here now, I've not fitted the chainring/s. Told you it'd take a year! :P

Much better on the top! Spacing them out like this makes them look less higgledy piggledy.

Re: saddle-butchery.
Is it possible to 're-mold' an old Brooks to something like its original shape? I'm thinking, soak in water, pack out to achieve desired shape, leave to dry.. Anyone tried this? Skully?

Bill Boston Cycles
The first thing to do is go out and buy a brand new Brooks Pro saddle! And when the salesman asks if you want Proofide, tell him where to rub it. I recommend a Brooks Pro because you want a leather saddle that is not extensively pre-treated. My personal preference runs towards the looks and leather of the Team Pro with the large rivets.
Put the saddle on the bike in the proper position. The nose should be just about flat or parallel to the ground. After it is set up, put a damp washcloth on the rear part of the saddle about an hour before you go for a ride. Make sure that it is about 2 to 3 inches in front of the rear-most part of the saddle, in the area where most of your weight will rest. The cloth should be damp but not so soaking wet that it drenches your bike. Then, just before you ride, take your thumbs and knead the area where your ischial bones will hit in order to start softening the leather. Ride an hour or two, with the washcloth OFF. (Don’t laugh, I saw a guy riding down the road leaving a dripping trail, thinking, “Damn, this thing’s comfortable already!”) Wear black shorts for this part as the dye will come off and stain your cloths.
Repeat this procedure of dampening and riding for five or six rides until the saddle has noticeable indentations and has taken on a curve that looks like a three- or four-year-old, well-ridden saddle. All you are trying to do is mold the leather, which is something you can’t do with a plastic saddle unless you have a mighty hot set of buns.
When your saddle fits your anatomy, stop! Now that your saddle fits, you don’t want it to absorb any more water because it will continue to change shape. Here’s how you seal it: First, expose the pores on the top of the saddle by rubbing the leather with a triple-ought steel wool until the top turns white. If you want a custom-colored saddle, now is the time. Select any leather dye - not shoe polish - which comes in a variety of colors. The idea is to fill up the pores with the new dye, which will last longer than the original and keep the water out. Lightly scrub with the steel wool between coats, and then allow the last coat to dry before buffing with a shoe brush and a cloth. Let the saddle dry overnight, then rub in paste saddle soap and brush off the excess. Remember to not wear light colored clothes as the excess dye will wear off for a while. It will stop wearing off faster than the dye that came on the saddle.
Let me take a moment to make an urgent appeal: do not oil your saddle. Oil will allow the saddle to continue to change its shape. Eventually the horn of the saddle, which should be very hard, will soften and spread and chafe. The leather is formed by wetting and shaping it over a form. The tanning agents, which stiffen the leather, are broken down and softened by the oil. Wetting the rear of the saddle with water allows that area to be remolded while the front part of the saddle remains stiff. You can’t do that with oil because you can’t stop the migration of oil through the porous leather.
Now, to finish sealing your saddle coat the underside with a non-softening snow-seal. Paste it on underneath the saddle and use a hair dryer to warm and spread it. Also bee’s wax or paraffin will work.
Finally, take precautions to keep rain off your saddle by using a shower cap, baggie, plastic shopping bag or cheap plastic cover when not riding. Your fanny will do fine as a rain protector while you are riding. You will find that your riding shorts will act as a very efficient buffer, polishing your seat to a smooth, high luster. You will also have an extremely comfortable saddle that will give years of service.

Hope this helps.