Maarten I had a similar dilemma with my Indian. I never like the look of the new 'ORANGE' saddle bags so I acquired some old originals. But they were so tatty and broken I almost wouldn't use them, but I persevered and got them repaired by an excellent saddlery girl I know and have given them lashings of saddle oil over the years and I love them know.
On the other hand my saddle had a brand new natural colour skin fitted. It was a pale creamy colour which would probably have looked ok after about 20 years use First I tried brown boot polish but it went orange, and oil didn't help. Then I bought some dark brown leather die off ebay and then it was "shit or bust" First I mixed a bit in some oil, then I wiped it over again neat, then more oil. See the result, it doesn't look out of place against my ancient bags.
I have another friend 'Stuart' who simply soaked his new 741 bags in old engine oil, but he really didn't care about having a 'Rat' look. So I would suggest 'Neatsfoot or something like this stuff I use and add some darkness to it as you go.....You can't put too much oil on them. Ron
Well for me it was just a case of making my saddle colour match that of my bags. Much the same as if I'd fitted a new painted part. The saddle still looks quite new.
I don't know if this orange colour you get with these US repro leather parts is correct, but I don't like it Fortunately as part of the British army we have a different set of standards...."If it moves, salute it. If it doesn't, paint it"
Restore or 'patinate'..we're all faking it...But I can't help thinking false patina is faking it a bit more, as it's ultimately an attempt to deceive...Ian
I'm convinced there are a very few all original bikes out there....even those who think they have the real deal and state that the full history of the bike is known etc....
IMHO is aging a repro item better than the alternative...I bet one will piss vinegar also when it's put in place in its original orange new look or when the wrong type old saddle is placed....When the original item is no longer for sale or for unrealistic prices, what is the alternative?
Perhaps the thing to do would be to look at the original maintenance instructions. What care was required for components made of leather ? I'm pretty sure in the British Army they'd have been instructed to 'dubbin' it.
An unprotected saddle or bags would become impossibly wet. There must have been some waterproofing used.
Restore or 'patinate'..we're all faking it...But I can't help thinking false patina is faking it a bit more, as it's ultimately an attempt to deceive...Ian
Ian I think you know that am not one for patina, fake or otherwise, and have argued that point on several occasions. As I said the issue with my new saddle skin was simply the colour. I can't believe the original colour of the leather would have been cream and I just coloured mine to please myself and to what I think it might have looked like in 1942, without any attempt to make it look old. The saddle bags however were already old and I did my best to make them look the best I could. Ron
Hello,
for the leather items i use "SAPO"since years, and old uncle who work at "Forestier" saddelery say us it's maybe the better thing for the leather, maybe he is right ( or maybe he was paid to say that... )
http://www.equiphorse.com/graisse-a-cuir-%22sapo%22-a11838.html
very good stuff who not darken the leather as the oil,
and for the colour of a new creamy leather, who is never oiled, just use professional wood color ( the solvant version) it work very well, and with a small gun spray you could also darken a little more just the portions you want to make more fake patina...
Maarten, ask a cardealer for old engine oil, put your saddle bags 2 weeks in the old engine oil, ask a friend who owns a gun licence to take the saddlebags to his shooting club, take a few 9 mm shots on the bags and you have original " old bags ". When I had my Harley WLA everybody ask me hoe I got those original bags.
Well Maarten I much prefer the brown look over the orange colour of the new items..... Would they really have been that orange colour originally It makes me think that any Harley rider at the time would have been a potential target. Probably the enemy would even have had to wear sun glasses Ron
The finish on the leather is a matter of personal preference, I think. But patina on a WD bike is inevitable unless you do not use the machine or re-restore it every few years. Again, personal preference, but my bike was restored to WD trim some 13 years ago and what with the nature of the paint used as well as use on and off road, plus petrol leakage and oil splashes, it has attained a natural "patina".........and I think the bike looks better each year as it gently ages, unlike its owner!
Do not use neatsfoot oil on old bags in more than small amounts as it turns leather into something like licorice. It darkens the leather and softens it. That's ok if the leather is very dry but not so good if it's already supple. Neatsfoot oil is also known to rot cotton based thread, so not so clever. I never use it commercially any more. It's boiled up hooves. If you want to bring hard leather back to life far far better to use Westgate Gold Label Hide Food which is lanolin based, ie Face Cream that Old Bags use.