Some time ago I acquired a vintage Brooks Colt saddle. The original Colts are pretty rare, so I was excited. Unfortunately the saddle was deformed, sporting a prominent ridge down the center. On top of that, the leather was hard as a rock. The saddle was outrightpainful to ride for more than a few minutes.
To deal with the ridge, I was encouraged to try the blocking technique: soaking the saddle in water to regain its original shape. And I received just as many warnings against trying the blocking technique: The saddle could snap in half or become even more deformed I was told, I could ruin it. So I will preface with a caveat: As I understand it, blocking has a spotty success rate. To be safe, I would suggest trying it only on a saddle that is already ruined and unridable, as mine was.
There are different variations of the method, and the one I initially used was as follows: I soaked the saddle under the faucet, both the surface and the underside, until it was evenly wet. I then wrapped it in a wet towel, wrapped that in a plastic bag and let it sit. Two days later I unwrapped the saddle to check on it and was stunned to discover that, while wet, it was still hard as a rock. The moisture did not seem to be soaking through at all. So I wrapped it back up and left it for an entire week. When I unwrapped it again, the saddle was a bit softer, but the ridge showed no signs of diminishing. I thought that if I left it in there any longer the saddle would start to rot. So I installed it on a trainer bike and tried riding on it, thinking I could now flatten the ridge that way. But it was too painful to ride and it wasn't working. Eventually, I gave up and decided the experiment was unsuccessful. I treated the saddle with a generous dose of Proofide and put it away in a box, not sure what I'd do with it.
Some time later, the Co-Habitant needed a saddle for one of his bike builds and I said he was welcome to give reviving the Colt another try. At this point, our collective memory of what exactly was done is less clear, but we agree that it involved yet more soaking. The way I recall it, this time he left the saddle in a sink filled with water overnight. Possibly more than once. Eventually the saddle did begin to show signs of softening, and when this happened he installed it on his bike and went out riding.
The Co-Habitant weighs over 200lb, and I was worried that this was exactly the sort of situation where a soaked saddle might snap in half. However it did not snap, but began to straighten out under his weight. After a couple of rides and much Proofiding the deep ridge was flattened and now there are only a couple of gentle dimples in the sitbone areas. He says that the Colt is now very comfortable. It certainly looks nice and healthy: The colour is a rich warm chestnut and the surface is much smoother than it had been when I first received the saddle.
As our experience demonstrates, there is no one formula for this and you sort of have to play it by ear. The John Spooner description I linked to earlier suggests stuffing the saddle with newspaper after soaking it, but this did not seem appropriate in our case since the saddle was hardly soft enough even after excessive soaking. In general I'd say see how the leather behaves once you begin, and go from there. Start off conservative as far as water exposure, then get progressively more aggressive if that doesn't work.
All things considered, the Co-Habitant's opinion is that the blocking technique is more trouble than it is worth and he does not recommend it. My opinion is that it really depends on how much you want to rescue that particular saddle, and how prepared you are to potentially ruin it in the process. I am glad that we revived the Colt and now have this beautiful, functional vintage saddle. What has been your experience with blocking or other saddle reshaping techniques?
I have talked ad nauseum about my Carradice Barley bag, and so I thought it was time to review my other bag, the Sackville Trunksack. As far as I know, it is available exclusively from Rivendell, and you can read their product description here.
The Sackville Trunksack is a handsome box-shaped bag, in a dark-olive waterproof canvas with golden-brown leather trim and brass hardware. The large size is designed for the rear rack. It fits Pletscher-style racks perfectly, neither leaving portions of the rack uncovered, nor overhanging from any part of the rack. It looks great on many different types of bicycles, including the Motobecane mixte above and the Raleigh Lady's Sport on the first photo.
Here are some views of the bag. The zipper closure with two separate zippers is very convenient, as it allows you to open and close the bag from any side while remaining seated on the bicycle.
The leather flaps hide the zippers from view and prevent rain from entering.
3/4 view. The colour of the leather flap is an exact match for Brooks "honey" (pictured ont he 1st photo of the Raleigh here) and a shade lighter than the Brooks "brown" (above). The reflective strip is an extra benefit.
Rear view. The leather strap in the back is positioned perfectly for mounting a light, providing a great solution for rear lighting (if you recall, this was my only criticism of the Carradice Barley).
Close-up of the light attachment. Very secure; no wobbling or slanting even during very bumpy rides.
The complete lack of wobble is one of the biggest benefits of the Sackville Trunksack. This is achieved by the tight and precise attachment system: leather straps with snap closure.
The brass hardware is rather attractive.
Inside, the Trunksack is like a large box or chest: There are no compartments. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good in the sense that you need only to open it once, and all of your stuff is immediately accessible. And it is bad in the sense that, especially if you are messy, your things will soon become jumbled due to the lack of compartments. For me, the benefits of the ease of access outweigh the drawbacks of the lack of compartments - but this is a personal preference.
My one complaint about the Sackville Trunksack, is that it has no structural support and therefore does not retain its form unless it is full. You can see that almost all the photos show various degrees of sagging. We are trying to make a support for it either out of wire or plexiglass, but it is not yet complete. In the meantime, I try to keep it maximally filled.
My list of things to do and see in Monnickendam:
This is one of the main streets, the Kerkstraat, the street that leads to the center.
Dutch architecture on Noordeinde and Kerkstraat.
The most popular gevelsteen in Monnickendam, the Gulden Hand. Gevelstenen are sculptures mostly found on top of the doors.
The Speeltoren on the left, an old house with a beautifully carved door canopy.
More period style details, another beautiful gevelsteen.
This snake balustrade at the entrance to the raadshuis (city hall) reminds me of the pyramid of Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico.
Wooden draw bridge in the residential part of the town and this is how the locals live here, very quaint.
Moi by the Speeltoren and the Raadshuis (city hall).
Another wooden bridge - this has to be manually pulled when bigger boats pass by.
The inner haven, looks busy, and the Waag Huis by the haven which is now a restaurant.
Houses by the haven on Gooische Kaai and more cafe terraces.
Love this foto of an old man drinking beer under a colourful parasol. 
The 'Langebrug' in the haven, actually a narrow wooden bridge connecting each side of the haven. Paling is a sort of fish the Dutch specialize in, they are usually smoked, and although fishing is not anymore a main industry in Monnickendam as such in the past, the town has, in a way, kept the fishing culture alive.
The haven taken from the Gooische Kaai.
Canals and some Dutch souvenirs, as usual, yellow clogs and wooden tulips.
