bikenut2010
Senior Retro Guru
Anyone come across a good dye for white leather saddles that have got scuffed or cracked? I tried something from the hardware shop that was for shoes but it formed a skin which peeled of when ridden... 
White saddle dye?
- Thread starter bikenut2010
- Start date
I'll bump this question - I could also do with something for a Concor I'd like to scrub up a bit. Any ideas?
Bikenut - my Dad used to make shoes and boots for a living and I've asked him the question. Will post here any (helpful) response I get back from him.
Bikenut - my Dad used to make shoes and boots for a living and I've asked him the question. Will post here any (helpful) response I get back from him.
bikenut2010
Senior Retro Guru
Thanks Mate, maybe you need to clean the saddle with the prep solution very thoroughly...otherwise the dye will for a laminate on top of the waxed saddle? i'll give it a try...
I have also tried a shoe dye which is nothing of the sort it would seem, as per the OP it just painted a crap skin on the surface.
What you might try is a kit designed to restore car leather seats. I used something called liquid leather (I think) to sort the drivers seat in my car. Keep meaning to get some of this in white to try on an old white saddle, reckon this would do the trick since it actually (re)dyes the leather.
What you might try is a kit designed to restore car leather seats. I used something called liquid leather (I think) to sort the drivers seat in my car. Keep meaning to get some of this in white to try on an old white saddle, reckon this would do the trick since it actually (re)dyes the leather.
Just to add this was the stuff I used, scuffmaster by liquid leather > http://www.liquidleather.com/scuffs.htm
Old Ned
Old School Grand Master
I used an aniline based shoe dye to re-blacken a saddle. It is very 'thin' and soaks into the leather but - are these still available? Or have they gone the way of most good household chemically things that seem to offend the H & S fraternity?
Don't know if there is a white alternative though. In my experience, the white colouring on saddles seems to be a bit of a 'skin' itself.
Don't know if there is a white alternative though. In my experience, the white colouring on saddles seems to be a bit of a 'skin' itself.
Old Ned":3fukgw5b said:
With my chemist's hat (and indeed white coat) on here - these things do get banned for a valid reason, whatever the Daily Mail or similar might think; properly implemented, H&S is a very sound idea. Aniline is nasty stuff and its derivatives are pretty unpleasant too, most being known carcinogens to some extent. Not sure I'd want such substances in near-contact with my perineum, that's for sure.
David
bikenut2010
Senior Retro Guru
wondering whether ( the leather being dyed in the manufacturing process ) any restorative treatment will be limited in it's success; I'll try with a proper prepped surface and see how it goes, I'll post pics too so you can see progress! lorra lorra white saddle out there it seems! 
Old Ned
Old School Grand Master
David B":vih4f02h said:
I know what you mean Dave, I suppose I was being a little bit sarcastic there about H&S. In general they do a good job but some of their decisions do leave a lot of head scratching sometimes.
After dying the saddles have a good coat of black shoe polish - and are NEVER ridden in the nude - so my perineum should be quite safe
