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@Skülly
Big Block
Amazing efforts, I think all this shows a seriously practical and adventurous personality is behind the avatar... inspiring. The stumpy nose chop is right up my street!
Feel free to borrow my chain-link binding 'trademark'. I use 12mm M2 bolts with a nylock nuts, and two bits of old chain (I bind under and over the the flap) for one binding, i.e. a hole on each flap. Or two plates (four holes in all) side by side can be done, but be careful not to foul the area where the seatpost will be, taking into account any flex downwards when ridden. Also it's quite tricky to do up the bolts, so if you can rivet them like Brooks do, so much the better.
I can't imagine how you managed to find hide that thick. Brooks use about 5mm maximum as far as I know, for the Team Pro, which comes from the rump of the cow. Those are very tough on the gooch - so i hope your saddle (7mm thick) won't do you an irreversible mischief! I know in the past Brooks (who also made Lycett and Wrights) used much thinner stuff, even for the race saddles, then a second layer of a material I haven't really identified, almost like a glass fibre stuff, to stiffen and support the top (not sides), which was rivetted together with the molded leather.
Good to know I can 'toast' the leather up to 50c without damaging - I have seen that brittling that heat can do and it's not pretty. I may experiment with hotter places when next I block out a sagged saddle.
One more thing: Have you looked into using big copper rivets instead of screws? I know a couple of places where you can get some, let me know if you're interested.
I'm SURE Andrea at Brooks would love to see your work, you should get in touch with them. They are very interested in 'heritage' stuff, often re-release older saddles and trawl through their archives for inspiration.
BTW I have seen French (Ideale perhaps?) saddles with nose-rivets in about the same place as your old rubber one. VeLLo and Lolo (on here) might know, being our Gallic brothers on here with an interest in the vintage side of things.
Keep in touch with your developments. Amazing work, dude.