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I wasn't sure where to put this so I hope this is the right place!

I have an old cutting saddle that I bought a few years back. It hasn't been well taken care of, and as a result squeaks really badly. It's suede, so any oiling I do doesn't work very well, and I'm starting to consider taking it apart so I can get to the grain side of the leather and give it a good oil. From what I can see(looking under the upper skirt), the grain side is in lovely condition, just dry from neglect. Can I take it apart and clean it or would it mess my saddle up? I've been doing leather crafting for a few years but saddle construction is completely foreign to me. I would like to learn more about the process and how to do it though!

I thought about asking a repair shop if they would take the saddle apart and oil it for me, but I don't know of any saddle shops nearby. The only one I know of closed down a few years ago.

Also, what would be recommended for oiling a dry saddle? I've been using the Lexol oil, but just wondered if there was anything that would work better.

Any help is appreciated!

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CuttingHorse,

When you say suede I assume you mean it is a roughout saddle. If that is the case you can oil it just like a slick out saddle.Just remember the rough out will take the oil faster. Go slow you don't want to over do it.First though it probably needs a good cleaning. Just use glycerine saddle soap and lots of water to get the dirt and sweat off. Water won't hurt leather if you oil it after it is wet. As far as taking it apart, the more you break it down the better the job you can do. Just remember how everything goes back together. You might want to leave the stirrup leathers over the bars as they can be difficult to get back in.

The lexol will be fine or pure neatsfoot oil. The neatsfoot will darken it more. I use a combination of both.

Good luck,

CW

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CW is spot on. To clean and oil a saddle I charge $75 plus any repairs required.

Bob

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Thanks y'all! CWR, I'm not sure if it is considered a rough out, it probably is.

I started taking it apart a couple of nights ago, the seat jockey is nailed to the swells. Can I remove the nails then put new ones in using the same holes? Or would that loosen the fit? I hope that makes sense, I'm really bad at describing things.

Again, thank you for answering my dumb newbie questions!

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Thanks y'all! CWR, I'm not sure if it is considered a rough out, it probably is.

I started taking it apart a couple of nights ago, the seat jockey is nailed to the swells. Can I remove the nails then put new ones in using the same holes? Or would that loosen the fit? I hope that makes sense, I'm really bad at describing things.

Again, thank you for answering my dumb newbie questions!

Edited by rickybobby

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Yes, you can remove those nails and replace them after you are finished. It will not loosen the fit.

Use an oil can with a long spout to reach up under stirrup leathers and between skirts/jockeys (rear housing).

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To get rid of squeaks the saddle is turned upside down and dusted with talcum powder in the nooks and crannies. This usually shuts them up.

Edited by Saddlebag

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