Before and after saddle restoration

[pella]

Hello,

i love to see before and after saddles. Hope there is not another post like that?

I will post one to begin, and you are invited to do the same on this post if you like :-)

Comments/critiques welcome on mines. I am always open to amelioration.

that first is an older Higgins

this second, i know, concho missing...and i do find i put string on the short side

a cute pony saddle

[CharlieR]

Pella--super job. Would love to hear the process you used.

charlie

[pella]

thank you charlie,

process?

The saddle is dismantle to have the old sheepskin remove and i press flat curled pieces (they have to be wet). Long process, restoration is done over couple of day.

dust/wash the saddle with warm water and lexol ph, with a toothbrush for all the tooling, thats a long job, because you have to do it couple of time untill no more dust.

Then i use lexol conditioner couple of time, little neetfoot oil to some places very dry out. Then i use saddle soap in the solid form (bar) clean with a toothbrush to remove excess in the tooling. Saddle soap do the job for softening the leather and put a nice gloss. I mostly work on older saddles, they are always dry and dirty.

For the pony saddle, i put some tan-kote because it was a display saddle.

If you have specific question, ask me.