Part 3 - Clyde's Leather Recoloring Balm

Part 1
Part 2

I think my saddle is as black as it is going to get. Did it turn out as well as I was hoping? Yes and no, but that wasn't the fault of Clyde's Leather Recoloring Balm. In fact, that's the only part of this recoloring project that went well. If you are interested in dying your saddle, there's a link to my DIY post in Part 1. If you're interested in using Clyde's Recoloring Balm to recolor your saddle, read Parts 1 and 2. In the end, I would choose the recoloring balm over leather dye. It was a lot easier, especially now that I know which steps I would follow.

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In a nutshell, the recoloring cream did what it was supposed to, and next year, I'll probably use it again. There are a few things that I will do differently though.

• I will skip the deglazer. If you are dying or recoloring a new leather product that still has the manufacturer's finish on it - but why would you?, the deglazer is probably a necessary step. For a piece of leather that has been well used, I think the manufacturer's finish has been sufficiently worn away to make a deglazer unnecessary. By using the deglazer, I think I removed too much of the finish which originally left the leather looking dry. I have since fixed that.
• I will also skip the Tan-Kote application. It just won't hold up under my seat. I didn't know that though until I had given it one more try ...

Tan-Kote reapplied, cured, and ready to ride in.

Before we left for Nashville, I decided to try the Tan-Kote one more time. I reapplied it only on the seat and small skirt, and then left my saddle indoors for nearly a week to cure. By the time we came back, the Tan-Kote was completely dry. The first time I rode in it though, the shine wore off under my seat and off the small skirt. While it is pretty ugly up close, it's really just cosmetic.

The Tan-Kote just wears away.

All of the faded areas of the saddle have remained black where I used the recoloring balm, which was my main concern in the first place. The leather feels soft and well conditioned; it just looks like it has old finger nail polish that hasn't yet been worn off or removed. I am hoping that over time, the Tan-Kote will get rubbed off completely which will ultimately make everything look better. Fortunately, the worst of the worn finish is under my seat and thighs, so anyone looking at it, like a judge or my trainer, won't see anything but a black dressage saddle. And again, over time, the unevenness of the shine should wear away. ​

No more fading.

Next summer, if I need to recolor my saddle again, these are the steps I will follow:

• Clean the saddle throughly, being sure to remove all dust, dirt, and leather cleaning reside.
• Use gloves.
• Using a foam brush, apply the Clyde's Leather Recoloring Balm in long even strokes. Cover the leather thoroughly and allow to dry at least 24 hours indoors. My garage gets too hot which slowed down the curing process. I think the product cures best at room temperature.
• Once the saddle is completely dry, use your fingers to rub in a light amount of the conditioning cream. Allow it to absorb overnight, and then buff it with a clean cloth.

Overall, I am actually happy with how things look - except for the ugly spot right under my butt. All of the the leather is black again, and it feels soft and well-conditioned. I definitely wouldn't recommend doing this to a new saddle, but since this one has seen lots of wear, it didn't bother me to experiment with it. I would recommend Clyde's Leather Recoloring Balm and Conditioning Cream for a faded saddle, especially if it is black.

While my saddle is done, I just might try to "spot" treat that one area on the seat with more recoloring balm. I'll give the Tan-Kote more time to wear away first.