THE MEXICAN Report post Posted June 17, 2012 Hello there folks, I'm very new to leatherwork. So new that I only have a couple of custom works under my belt, one being for my father. He like my work so much that he brought me a new project. My father works for a custom home building company, and this company has several model homes that are fully decorated. In one of these homes there is a saddle that is about 13 years old and has never been used, other than for decoration. Unfortunately the decorator placed it on display in front of a window and has been sitting there since the day it was purchased, until about 3 days ago. Anyway, when he brought it to me he asked me to try and get it back to its original condition. The front half of this saddle is a chesnut color(from what I can tell) and the back half and fenders have turned a pale yellow and are REALLY dry. I would love to take on this project but I dont want to mess it up. So my question is, Where/ How do I start? Any advise would be very much appeciated. Thanks in advance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy Robbins Report post Posted June 17, 2012 To me it sounds like the saddle was sunburned and bleached out. This happens even inside. I had a hide that was inside my garage (in A/C) next to the garage door. The side next to the door turned yellow from the UV rays hitting the door and heating it up. I live in Florida. And it does dry it out....look at your skin after sunburning. The saddle definitely needs some oil ....you also may be able to re-dye the whole saddle. I would contact your local saddle shop about this job. If you want to keep the saddle in good condition ...keep it out of the window. Good luck. Sandy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goldshot Ron Report post Posted June 22, 2012 First, take the saddle apart at the jockeys by removing the rosettes or conchos. Next, clean the saddle well with saddle soap. After it dries, lightly oil the saddle with neatsfoot oil (100%, no fancy stuff). Let the saddle sit for a day or so and look at your color. It this hasn't brought back some consistant color, then I'd redye the saddle. Start out with a light brown or tan before going for any darker colors. After dying, a second coat of oil may be all you need to bring the saddle back to a good appearance. Good luck, Ron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
