Saddle Dying by "Chance"

No, not that kind of Chance. I mean the Amanda-from-The 900 Facebook Pony kind of Chance. My new-to-me, although a lot less newer now that I've had it for almost a year, saddle started fading. It was like the warranty ran out. One day it was black, and the next it started turning this sickly gray color that was quite unattractive.

The worst of the fading was on the cantle and the back of the panels.

As soon as I noticed it, it seemed to get worse every time I cleaned the saddle. I could literally see the dye coming off on my sponge. I remembered that Amanda had dyed her saddle some time before, so I googled Dying a Saddle, and sure enough Amanda's post popped up almost immediately.

Amanda's recommended supplies.

I don't know Amanda personally, but I've followed her blog for a few years, and we've made some comments back and forth to each other. I know she's honest in what she writes, so I felt confident trusting her directions for dying a saddle. 

Early in the summer, I ordered everything on her list, but the show season was in full swing, and I was pretty nervous about the process. What if it went to hell in a hand basket? I didn't want to be with no saddle just days before a show, so I gathered the supplies and left them to sit, waiting for the right moment.

The fading is hard to see, but the pommel and knee rolls were very faded.

I cleaned my saddle on the Saturday morning before our last show. On the way home on Sunday afternoon, I decided that Speedy was getting the week off, so what better time to dye the saddle? I started the process that same afternoon.

I started on the left and went to the right.

I followed Amanda's directions pretty closely. In fact, I had printed her whole blog post and kept it beside me as I worked. After every coat of whichever bottle I was using, I reread the steps again.

If you haven't read Amanda's post, the process goes like this:

• Deglazer to remove any sealant which allows the leather to absorb the dye.
• Black dye done in several coats.
• Tan-Kote is a protective finish.
• Resolene is a water resistant top finish that gives the leather shine.

After I used the black dye, I allowed the saddle to sit overnight. The next afternoon I used the Tan-Kote and Resolene. I also allowed that to sit over night. The third day, I did a light coating of Lederbalsam to finish the whole thing off.

Some streaking from the Resolene, but only under my seat and legs.

Overall, I am really happy with how it looks. The leather took the dye well and the saddle looks and feels so much better. The resolene was pretty tough to use though. I spread it as thinly and carefully as I could, but you can still see brush strokes (I used a clean cloth to apply) on the seat and skirt.

The cantle looks so much better.

It was easiest to do the parts of the saddle that are covered in textured leather or that were in small pieces, like the cantle, the knee rolls, and back part of the panels. There are no brush strokes on those areas.

The brush strokes are really only visible in bright, direct sunlight.

Amanda gave this DIY project five stars for value and two stars for difficulty. I completely agree. I spent a little more than she did, prices had gone up a bit, but it was still under $50. The steps through the Tan-Kote phase were all really easy. It wasn't until I got to the Resolene that I struggled. I am not sure what you could do to spread that more evenly. I used a brand new soft cloth, but maybe a thin brush or sponge would be better.

More than happy with the outcome.

I've had a few rides in the saddle since dying it. The first time I rode in the saddle, five days after the coat of lederbalsam, the resolene got a bit gummy and came off. In fact, much of the streaked area is now smoothed out, but it's no longer shiny. I am actually glad about that.

I had hoped that with some wear, the brush strokes would begin to fade or blend in. Now that they have, I am even happier with how the saddle looks. On top of that, it is the cleanest it has been since it left the saddle maker. That won't last long, I am sure.

There's still a bit of time left to leave a comment on Monday's post for a chance to win a pair of Roeckl gloves.