A Viking or not a Viking?

[sjcprojects]

Great result! I'm still confused by the apparent anomaly around those badge holes though...

Yes, me too. I did point that out, but they only replied that (just to add to the confusion), the Severn Valley used both the oval badge, and the cut-out one. The catalogue shows the oval one, but they reused that illustration for multiple years, so that doesn't really help. But I am tempted to buy one of them and check it fits. Just need to decide which one to get...

 

[chickendrumsticks]

I believe the cutout one is most appropriate. To my knowledge it was mainly used on the "higher range" bikes, of which, of course, your SV is at the top after the demise of the Tour of Britain model.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

@grantoury repaired his brooks with a parts kit.

 

[sjcprojects]

@grantoury repaired his brooks with a parts kit.

Does that include repairing a rivet? That seems tricky unless you have the right tools. The leather is also very hard so I need to get it at least a bit pliable again. Any tips with softening rock-hard leather would be gratefully received.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Does that include repairing a rivet? That seems tricky unless you have the right tools. The leather is also very hard so I need to get it at least a bit pliable again. Any tips with softening rock-harder leather greatly would be gratefully received.

View attachment 963315

He broke the frame and the new rivets were torx screws. Worked a treat.

 

[grantoury]

I bought a frame and bolts and nuts to rebuild my modern b17 narrow and that works very well. The copper rivets are available on a Dutch website who offers a range of Brooks spare parts, I imagine there will be a shop in the uk who does this. But yes, you would need tools and skill to finish a copper rivet.

https://www.libertecycles.nl/brooks-spare-parts/brooks-klinknagels-byb-277-13-mm



I think the nuts and bolts are a service provided by this particular shop.

 

[grantoury]

Brooks offer a repair service on their website, which is what I initially intended to use, before I found the spare parts.

 

[sjcprojects]

I bought a frame and bolts and nuts to rebuild my modern b17 narrow and that works very well. The copper rivets are available on a Dutch website who offers a range of Brooks spare parts, I imagine there will be a shop in the uk who does this. But yes, you would need tools and skill to finish a copper rivet.

https://www.libertecycles.nl/brooks-spare-parts/brooks-klinknagels-byb-277-13-mm

I think the nuts and bolts are a service provided by this particular shop.

Thank for this, that looks like a great job. I'm not sure having Brooks repair mine would be economically viable, as it were, so I will have a look at other options. Apparently only about 600 of these 'Professional Select' were made (identifiable by the black painted rails).

 

[Jonny69]

The leather is also very hard so I need to get it at least a bit pliable again. Any tips with softening rock-hard leather would be gratefully received.

Depends how hard you mean by hard, but an initial coat of neatsfoot oil might work better than just proofide or dubbin if it’s really rock hard. Proofide doesn’t seem to soak in very far compared to dubbin. Dubbin stays soft and tacky but if the underlying leather is still dry in the middle it will break. Neatsfoot oil soaks right in but if you put too much on it can make the leather too soft, so do it in stages. What does the underside look like?

 

[sjcprojects]

Depends how hard you mean by hard, but an initial coat of neatsfoot oil might work better than just proofide or dubbin if it’s really rock hard. Proofide doesn’t seem to soak in very far compared to dubbin. Dubbin stays soft and tacky but if the underlying leather is still dry in the middle it will break. Neatsfoot oil soaks right in but if you put too much on it can make the leather too soft, so do it in stages. What does the underside look like?

Thanks - Actually, I noticed when looking at the info about this model on Velobase that there were quite a few comments that it is a very hard leather on this model. The leather is maybe twice as thick as on the other leather saddle I have, and there is no give at all in the middle of it. But, it seems this is just how they are. I had presumed it was because it had obviously seen better days.

I don't really have a bike the saddle will go with anyway, so I may well not keep it. We'll see. This is what it looks like: