California Bear

The California Bear for Jackie on a Regal(esque) saddle. To adorn Jackie's Marin fixie which has another version of the bear as its head tube badge. The bear is built up with two blended layers that are skived to fade back to single in areas. A fun project thanks to the skill, humor and patience of Simone, my lovely intern.

RS Emboss Session 1

The first two pieces

Piece by piece through the machine

I keep scorching my fingers!

The sunlight was splendid

Fresh out

The old stuff or the new stuff?

Sachs' Tape

Prolly's Photo

Emboss Test

I like it, subtle branded. The texture it adds will give a nice feel to the grip I think. Coming soon.

Waiting for the Bread to Cook

The pattern

Natural kangaroo with pale green/grey perforations

Waiting for my weekly loaf of bread to cook, no new photos of all the busy work I seem to have been doing, what better to do than post some images borrowed from another blog

I finished this saddle and some matching bar tape last week, for myself, for my first carbon framed bike. Salvaged from Matt's misfortune the frame is repaired and repainted, the groupset is Italian and special, and maybe I will be able to keep up with the fast guys now by the time we reach the top of the hill.

Sabi The Dog

Customise your favourite saddle with a portrait of your favourite dog. Sabi the funny dog in natural kangaroo skin and tan dyed highlights. Tape hand dyed, stitched and perforated to match. On its way to Singapore tonight.

Chestnut Antique

Selle Italia SLR (brand new) with matching tape for a Baum build. All hand dyed to specification. The saddle is kangaroo, my new favourite, and the tape is matching cow. Tape edges are skived to a feather edge and it's backed with another leather for some cushion and contrast through the perforations. Lots of handwork here with a little help from a machine.

Red Belly Black

This tape is heading your way Richie. Hope you like it, let me know the required length.

Natural Kangaroo

Dan's design for Zoe's bike. Could hardly call it the finishing touches though, he's making custom finishing touches to just about every component on the entire bike. Natural kangaroo hide with fine red detailing to match the signature on the Phil Wood hubs.

Vespa Low Pro

Just finished this low profile scooter saddle for a really old Vespa.

All hand stitched

It's going on this.

Rich's Tape Installed

Gutter Lunch MDMA?

Hand embroidered Rolls, no seams. Gutter Lunch remains a mystery. MDMA = Melbourne District Messengers Association. If it get ridden I don't know hoe long the stitrching will last.

Oh yeah, this is my desk at work, my real job. Lists and spreadsheets and knitting needles.....

Honey Walnut SMP

James' 2nd Busyman covered SMP Saddle. This time the base is a full carbon fibre shell with Inox alloy rails, the leather is kangaroo hand dyed by me to match some honey coloured Brooks leather bar tape. The idea is that the saddle and bar tape simultaneously take on their vintage patina with wear, sweat and leather conditioner. In other words they age gracefully.

A difficult saddle to cover, it required a different template pattern and to make things more interesting the rails are not removable.

Destination: the saddle will complete James' new titanium Baum Corretto custom build.

James' Baum Corretto

A Danish Friend

On the ground in Copenhagen, the Yellow Kangaroos have arrived at Larry vs Harry. Soon Busyman will officially be their friend.

Danish Kangaroo Casino

This pair is on its way back to Hans at Larry Vs. Harry in Copenhagen. Hans sent over an old Kashimax Aero and Ritchey Bassano Ti for the busyman treatment. Reworking a couple of my prevoius perforated pattern designs in Kangaroo leather, hand dyed yellow, the saddles will be featured on a couple of L v H cargo bikes.

Motor Spares: Again

The catalogue page

Received a scan of this catalogue page in my email today. Thanks Curtis for sending it through, I'm still intrigued about the origins of my Motor Spares built Master Sports. One of Curtis' work colleagues found the catalogue in a mate's shed.

My Motor Spares built Master Sports

547 Elizabeth Street

Fleur de Lis: Wilier

Selle Italia Gel saddle recovered for Matt's new Wilier. The fleur de lis, or Florentine Lily in Italian, motif is adapted from the Wilier logo. The bike has the Italian green, white and red as a small detail near the fork tip as do Matty's new shoes. He's going to be nicely (but subtly) coordinated.