Saddle Stained On Skirts

[rawhide1]

Hello

I have a friend who had sold a saddle awhile back. Well the folks she sold it to weren't using it so she bought it back. Come to find out they had left it in their trailer the whole time they had it 6 to 8 months. So the problem is the trailer leaked and now the saddle is stained on the back corner of the skirts in the same place on both sides. The stain consists of a 1/4" black line that runs diagonal across the corner of the skirt (vinagroon effect?) and then from the line to the edge of the skirt is a dark brown. The rest of the saddle is a natural color. She actually likes the dark brown but wants the black line lightened up or gone. So I told her about using oxalic acid to lighten up the stain and then deglazing the rest of saddle and then oiling the piss out of it and leaving it in the sun to achieve the darker brown color throughout. Shes heard that oxalic acid can turn the leather pink. I've never had this happen but suppose if it wasn't rinsed well or mixed to strong it could.

Any thoughts about how to fix this or at least minimize the staining would be greatly appreciated. Or how would ya'll go about this.

Sorry for being so long winded, Mike

[JHayek]

Hello

I have a friend who had sold a saddle awhile back. Well the folks she sold it to weren't using it so she bought it back. Come to find out they had left it in their trailer the whole time they had it 6 to 8 months. So the problem is the trailer leaked and now the saddle is stained on the back corner of the skirts in the same place on both sides. The stain consists of a 1/4" black line that runs diagonal across the corner of the skirt (vinagroon effect?) and then from the line to the edge of the skirt is a dark brown. The rest of the saddle is a natural color. She actually likes the dark brown but wants the black line lightened up or gone. So I told her about using oxalic acid to lighten up the stain and then deglazing the rest of saddle and then oiling the piss out of it and leaving it in the sun to achieve the darker brown color throughout. Shes heard that oxalic acid can turn the leather pink. I've never had this happen but suppose if it wasn't rinsed well or mixed to strong it could.

Any thoughts about how to fix this or at least minimize the staining would be greatly appreciated. Or how would ya'll go about this.

Sorry for being so long winded, Mike

DONT use oxalic on an oiled saddle! It will not work the way you hope. The best product for your situation is bick 1. It looks like hand lotion or liquid soap but I have had good success with it in similar situations. As a plus it cannot hurt the leather in any way. It may take a few applications of bick (1 NOT 4) but should help, then oil and sunbake to achieve the desired darker mellow "brown" color

[rawhide1]

JHayek

Thanks for the reply. Where does one purchase this product and do I use it on the whole saddle to strip the old finish. I'm glad ya said not to use the oxalic acid on it as I sure dont want to ruin someones saddle or give them advice that would ruin one.

Thanks again, Mike

[rawhide1]

Here's a picture of the saddle

[JHayek]

Made by bickmore products available at various leather suppliers, use your favorite one. you may have to de-glaze this particular saddle before oiling, after you get as much black stain off as you can. It is important to remember that this is a salvage operation and perfection may not be attainable. How does the customer feel about a black saddle? (just kidding) what do you intend to use for oil and have you considered an "oil darkener" or even adding a little stain to pigment the oil? To much oil can create it's own problems, but then so can dyes as the alchohol dries out the leather. It will be interesting to se your end result on this.

[rawhide1]

JHayek

First off thanks for the help. When she first showed it to me I told her to let it be and just dont look behind ya. But she wanted me to cut the stains out and inlay some cowhide with some conchos. I told her noway was I doing it as it would look like crap with all that carving on it. There would be no way to make it look nice. She finally agreed and says it just bothered the heck out of her and she had to do something with it. I says if it bothers ya that much I'll give ya a couple of hundred for it as it wouldn't bother my daughter none.lol She didn't like that either so were going to try and lighten it up some. To tell the truth I don't mess with dyes much other than black (oil based fiebing)which I dye fire gear with and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want a black saddle. I was gonna have her use olive oil or neatsfoot oil and the sun to try and achieve the darker color as she does like the darker color. But I'm open to suggestions on any way to mix the oil with dye to achieve the end result. Shes a good friend so I'm just trying to help her out. She was going to do the work but it looks like I my be doing it as it seems it's getting a little more complicated.

Thanks again, Mike

[dirtclod]

Well it sure is weird that the trailer leaked at the same place on both sides of the saddle on both skirts. Are you sure somebody didn't paint or dye the lines on it ? Because it sure looks like somebody took a airbrush and did the lines. But i maybe a 100% wrong.

Edited April 5, 2011 by dirtclod

[rawhide1]

Yea I know it's weird but I know the folks she sold it to and their good people. They said after they bought it they just left it in the trailer and there it sat for all them months. I think this gal actually asked them how they were liking it and they said they hadn't and weren't using it. She had sold it because she quite running barrels and then wished she hadn't because she liked how it sat. So she bought it back from them. There are some lighter spots on the cantle and swells as well but not near as bad. With all that being said I think the trailer leaked and the water just ran down the saddle in that weird way. I reckon no matter how it happened she has it in her mind to fix it or at least make it not so noticeable.

Mike