Recondition Extremely Dry Leather?

[buckeroo1]

Save your money and do not put a lot of ANY kind of oil on it......too much oil is as bad as not enough oil!! My gut tells me that you should just let the "mice and birds" have at it.....and find something else to do with your time.

[Mechanical Cowgirl]

I like that answer! On to the next project then...

Save your money and do not put a lot of ANY kind of oil on it......too much oil is as bad as not enough oil!! My gut tells me that you should just let the "mice and birds" have at it.....and find something else to do with your time.

[Saddlebag]

I wouldn't completely give up on this saddle as it gives you an opportunity to experiment with different techniques on different areas and learn from the results.

[TwinOaks]

Dear Customer,

I am sorry to inform you that the saddle you asked me to repair appears to be beyond reasonable repair. As you know, almost all hard use items reach a point at which replacement is the best option, and this appears to be the case with your saddle. After a detailed inspection, there is ample evidence that the leather, hardware, and critical components have worn to the point that safety is a concern, and I must advise you to stop using this saddle. I can, at your discretion, arrange for return shipping or disposal of the saddle. I can also provide reference to a saddle maker that may be able to use the saddle for a pattern to build a replacement. Please let me know how you'd like me to proceed.

Thank you,

YOUR NAME

Of course, if the local saddle repairer doesn't build saddles, leave out that last part. This kind of message tells the customer all they need to know, and gives the option to be rid of it or to retain it- you never know, maybe it was Grandpa's saddle and holds special memories. If they tell you to get rid of it, then you can do some experiments, and maybe perform an autopsy on it to learn a little more about saddle making.