Carving a Brooks

[GTHOtrod]

I'm planning to butcher my b17 Brooks.

I have been suffering from saddle discomfort, and recently purchasing a C19 Cambium carved Brooks for my BMX cruiser.
Awesome saddle, very impressed!

No long after, I acquired a used b17. Also a great saddle, very comfortable. But still causes some pressure. (Could be because It's a used saddle)
Initially I was considering doing the imperial cut out and lacing holes, as per the factory Brooks imperial saddle.
But!
I really like the look and comfort of the Cambium cut out. I think this could work well for the B17?

Please share your tips, tricks, and ideas on carving.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

I have B-17’s on a lot of bikes and have contemplated doing this also, but never have. Thanks for starting this thread eager to learn myself

 

[ingola]

The laceing works for a bit then the sagging will start again.

 

[ingola]

Try profide or mink oil don't saturate it the leather will stiffen

 

[JA331]

Get a new b67. I have 5 of them and all are great.

 

[us56456712]

My Brooks Professional is the most comfortable saddle I have owned. Surprising as its so stiff and narrow. I used it for a 12 hour time trial and was comfortable the whole time. You really don’t know if a saddle is comfortable until 50 - 60 miles. If your butt gets super achey at 50 the saddle isn’t good for you. If the Cambrian is still made with nuts and bolts instead of rivets I would put lock nut on them. If the nut/bolt rivets come loose and get lost then you were out of luck because Brooks didn’t offer replacements. This problem occurred when they first came out so perhaps Brooks fixed this problem?

 

[us56456712]

In the late 1960s I bought two Brooks B-17 saddles for my old and new road bikes. They were starting to just come with plastic instead of leather saddles so I thought the leather would be better. After one summer of commuting to work both saddles were completely ruined. We had a lot of rain, it would be nice for the morning commute and be poring rain on the way home. Both saddles had the leather so streatched out that the nose adjustment was cranked all the way out and the leather was sagged into the rails. I used a shower cap on the seat but the problem is saturation from splashing on the under side. I took out the rivets, turned the stretch adjustment on the nose all the way back in, wet the leather, stretched the leather, drilled new rivet holes in the back and reattached the leather. This fix was good for a week before it was on the rails again. I could not get it stretched enough so the fix had to have the nose adjustment all the way out as soon as the leather was dry. I did this twice with each seat before the leather gave way where there were so many rivet holes. Brooks are no good for many days of rain riding, is the UK dryer than the UP? Now a days when they are adjusted all the way out, or the nose rivets are coming out or the leather is starting to crack around the rivets I just wax harden them. Harden is the word here, they get rock hard when you soak them in a pot of real hot melted paraffin wax and let the wax penetrate. When it’s dry it will be water proof, brick hard and will stop stretching. You have the Brooks bling to impress everyone but it’s only comfortable for 15 miles. Don’t worry about the rain. Some of my preserved wax hardened saddles.

 

[ingola]

Leather Brooks saddles look great and comfortable but they have to stay dry. Once you move the tension bolt there never the same.

 

[GTHOtrod]

I'm living down under, so not to concerned about rain issues. The problem for me is the pressure and numbness on the meat and two veg.

 

[ingola]

How tall are you can I ask

 

[ingola]

I had to switch to the s series because of height

 

[GTHOtrod]

I'm 5'7" or 170cm

 

[ingola]

No that wouldn't be the problem I'm 5'1" use the short model is it sagging

 

[GTHOtrod]

No issues with sag. Was rock hard when I got it, couple a coats of bees wax and dubbin baked in the sun got it softened slightly. Not too much. I was worried about tearing it at the rivet holes of I didn't treat it before using

 

[GTHOtrod]

I grabbed out a marker pen, and free handed an oval similar to the Cambium.

Chop chop.
sand up the edges with some 120g.

Rub some Dubbin on the fresh edges.

Job done.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

That looks good! Keep us posted on how it holds up over time

 

[user 15387]

This is certainly a doable project. Make sure that you don't create a stress point in the cut (a sharp corner, for example) from which a crack will radiate, and you have to have a way of sealing the edges so they don't split when put under load. It looks like you've done a pretty good job of it there.

 

[GTHOtrod]

B17 and C19.
Time for some testing

 

[GTHOtrod]

3 months on:
No adverse effects on the leather.
No pressure on the perineum while riding.
Super comfortable saddle.
Pleased I chopped it up

 

[GTHOtrod]

Over 12 months on now.
Still no adverse affects, no excessive sagging.
The most comfortable saddle I've got.
Plan to soon carve another saddle I've picked up from market place.

Pic of ruined b17 out on the local trail