Dan's heavy old beast (not sure what it is) with old school flip flop system and steel everything came in for some Busyman leather treatment. The Australian Bell saddle had seen better days, the leather had become so rigid that it had torn through releasing some of the rivets. So I've done what I could to restore it with moulded leather reinforcement glued underneath, heavy duty stitching around the tears and a new set of copper rivets. We decided to lace the skirt of the saddle in order to restore it to something more like the original shape and it's been well and truly moisturised with Proofide, olive oil and Gilles Berthoud's "Special Grease for Leather Saddles?".
And the bars were treated to some wrapping in 2mm vegetable tanned cow hide, moulded and stitched on. This should now age and patina very gracefully taking on a tan from the sunlight, dirt and oils form everyday use. And a little bit of hidden branding too.....
