A person reached out to me asking how to care for her doeskin seat that appears to be wanting to crack.
She said it does feel dry but didn’t want to put anything on it.
I understand this concern!!!!! You don’t want to ruin it, but if it feels like paper, it does need conditioning.
The following is what I do. It’s not perfect but it has worked for me on many occasions:
I recently acquired a beautiful Owen with a dry seat. The seller told me it was dry and I knew I could help it. It’s a slow process and the worst thing you can do is ride in a seat that is dry. It will crack and tear.
Personally, my favorite product for the doeskin is the CWD conditioner. Yes, I know it’s $30 a jar… and they charge a ridiculous amount for shipping, but I stock up on Black Friday when they typically have their things on sale. It is a creme gel that in my experience darkens the doeskin the least. I have trialed other products, but this is my favorite for this purpose. Some have asked my 2nd favorite. Effax conditioner in the brown tub container.
I do several coats with my fingers rubbing it in circles on the seat and the heads. One perk of doing this in the winter is my hands can usually use moisturizing as well!
I let it sit for several days between coats and then will ride in the saddle even with the conditioner on it.
After I have ridden in it and I feel it is more supple then I will clean it with leather therapy and a credit card to scrape the yuck off if I feel it needs it. Not all saddles need it but if it has so much dirt and conditioner accumulated that it feels like a leather seat, it’s best to clean it.
