devonmaid Report post Posted May 26, 2020 I'm quite new here so hi - I need some advice on a saddle I have been restoring. I'll start by saying I'm in the UK and the saddle is made from English leather, if that makes any difference. I have a saddle that fits me and my horse well but is looking quite tired and worn. It's not worth a huge amount so I thought I'd have a go at restoring it myself. What I have done so far is: Clean it Strip off the existing top finish Apply fiebings pro oil dye, allow to dry for 24 hours and buff well Apply two coats 24 hours apart, of fiebings tan kote, watered down 50/50 as I read this was the best way to get it non streaky. Buffed well between coats. It's been left to dry for another day, I thought I'd see if any of the dye would transfer through the tan kote so wiped a bit of it with a wet cloth, and the tan kote just came straight back off! If anybody has any pearls of wisdom to help me out here I'd be very grateful! I think I've pretty much gone off advice I've read on here so don't know how I've gone wrong... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt S Report post Posted May 26, 2020 Welcome to the forum and the craft! I do hope I'm not teaching my granny to suck eggs, but old saddles really should be looked over by a saddler, or at least someone with a lot of practical experience regularly. At the very least look very closely at the girth billets to make sure that the stitching is in good condition, the leather isn't cracked, stretched or degraded. These relatively tiny pieces of leather are all that's holding your saddle on -- not something you want to go ping when halfway over a hedge! I was also taught by an old girl (who probably taught Pontius Pilot to ride) to try flexing the saddle by taking a good grip on each point and applying pressure in then out (with the saddle upside down is easiest), listening and feeling for any creaking that may indicate a cracked tree which may not be readily apparent but can change the fit of the saddle when the weight of a rider is added. Not a definitive test by any stretch, but the equivalent of kicking your car's tyres to see if they've got enough air. A saddler, I believe, would cut the stitches around the pommel to pull the tree/seat/flap assembly off the panel to check the tree as part of a standard cleaner and service, but that's tricky to do neatly and even trickier to sew back together. Look over your stirrup leathers carefully too, and consider replacing them if there's any significant signs of wear or stretch, especially uneven stretch (lay them next to each other). If you use the D rings for any purpose (martingale, saddle or pommel bags) look closely at where their attachment points dive into the innards of the saddle -- this leather is often very thin and prone to tearing. As to Tan Kote, that's an acrylic leather finish that has trouble sticking to leather with any sort of grease in it, which your saddle undoubtedly does -- dubbin, tallow, kocholine, oil or any other sort of greasy leather dressing will prevent it from sticking. Honestly I don't think it's got much purpose in an English saddle, as keeping the leather well stuffed with grease should shed the majority of the British weather. The types of leather that English saddles are made from are typically stuffed with grease from the tannery, whereas the types typically used in Western saddles is pretty dry (non-greased), which allows Tan Kote to adhere. Even saddle soap contains grease! Oh and for the love of Mike PLEASE don't paint the thing in oil! Not saying you would, but I've seen that done by a lot of well-meaning people to all sorts of leather goods, including tack. Oil should be used sparingly for softening leather that's gone stiff from losing its oils and fats not for general conditioning or waterproofing. Condition/feed/stuff with a good leather dressing that's not going to over-soften your saddle or leach into your numnah or jods! Again, please don't see any of the above as condescending, I don't know anything about your background or experience and would rather err on the side of caution. Remember that English saddles are a little more... esoteric than Western or even Aussie stock saddles, like a sports car rather than a Land Rover. Lighter weight, less DIY-friendly and a smaller margin for error. Remember also to take my advice with a healthy pinch of salt as I'm no saddler, though I have ridden for years and was a groom/yard-hand/assistant instructor for a while. I'd invite corrections and comments on any of the above from knowledgeable persons such as @jimsaddler, @gmace99, @barra, @Les No6 and @jcuk. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
devonmaid Report post Posted May 27, 2020 Hello, thank you for your reply! To answer some questions, this is a saddle that has been in use by me, fully checked out by my saddler and perfectly safe and functional! I didn't realise that there was such a difference in English leather compared to that used in western saddles - I have no idea what's been put on mine but I would imagine it has been very well oiled which would explain why the tan kote hasn't stuck. So I'll be in a quandary now as it has dye on it which might leech out!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jcuk Report post Posted May 28, 2020 Its good you have had a saddler check that safe to use. When you say you have stripped the top finish can you say what you did to achieve this. JCUK Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
devonmaid Report post Posted May 29, 2020 Hi, yes I used leather prep - it's an acetone deglazer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
