New Brooks & Proofide

[Rickshaw Phil]

Not really.
Proofide is merely a combination of wax, oils and citronella and its purpose is to provide a temporary waterproofing to the saddle top which is "pressure rolled". As a result, Proofide when applied to the top surface does not penetrate at all and when applied to the underside (a new recommendation by the new owners in response to the American market mostly riding without mudguards) it will offer a degree of waterproofing. Repeated applications to the underside will cause softening of the leather and will eventually cause stretching. Previously the original owners discouraged the practice of applying Proofide to the underside for exactly this reason.
It's worth knowing that the leather saddles sold by Spa have a waterproofed underside as well as the leather being itself waterproofed. These use leather too thick to develop the usual depressions but work using the "hammock" principle as does
Berthoud.

Having just ordered a Spa Nidd that is interesting to know.

Thought I'd give one a try as the Charge Spoon on my knockabout bike is no good for anything more than about 40 miles.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Supplementary Brooks question, if I may. I recently bought a ''Honey'' coloured B17 (going cheap at Halfords, of all places). But it's the wrong colour, for purely arsethetic reasons. Has anybody here successfully dyed one black? And if yes, what did you use?

 

[Davidc]

Supplementary Brooks question, if I may. I recently bought a ''Honey'' coloured B17 (going cheap at Halfords, of all places). But it's the wrong colour, for purely arsethetic reasons. Has anybody here successfully dyed one black? And if yes, what did you use?

I think the dyeing process I'd use would be: Sell the one you've got (try on here it saves the commission for ebay); use the proceeds to buy a black one at the lowest available price.

 

[Davidc]

That would probably be better than my suggestion of use a felt tip pen on it.

I got a smudge of white paint on mine and an indelible black felt tip gets used occasionally!