I bought a new Voltaire calf/grain saddle a year ago. Prior to this saddle, I lived with red skid marks on my breeches for two years from my buffalo CWD. I thought with the calf seat option, the ugly stains would be a thing of the past. I like riding in tan breeches. When, if ever, will this end?
I conditioned my saddle a ton when I first got it to break it in. Now it’s just monthly or if needed. I don’t feel like this should be exacerbating the problem.
Any hope it will stop?
I hate to tell you no, because I’m also wondering for myself - but I think no 😩. My lighter brown Butet is a 2014 w/calf, I’ve had it since 2018, it still mildly discolors light breeches. And I just got a 2015 Stackhouse, also calf, darker brown - and it’s worse! My 2011 Hennig is made with much tougher leather and it leaves some black marks on my saddle pads, but never my breeches.
I have a 2012 Devoucoux that’s still leaching dye when it rains. An 8 hour OxyClean soak gets rid of the stains, but is annoying!
Geez, we can put astronauts on the moon…:no:
Please, someone invent a saddle sealer!
The product you are looking for is Resolene. It is used to seal leather to prevent dye leeching.
Search the web for info on dying saddles to learn more. There are some coth threads about the process too.
Second the resolene! I redyed my Trilogy dressage saddle myself and had NO dye leeching at all! I was very scared that I would ruin all of my breeches. The only thing with the resolene is that you can’t put any of the Effax/lederbalsam conditioners on it because they just sit on top of the resolene.
That is, until your butt wears off the resolene, and I’ve been conditioning it with Effax since with no issues.
Ooh, I’m going to try that! If it also makes my saddle less sticky, that would actually be a bonus.
But did the dye start leeching when it wore off?
Weird! I have a Voltaire PB and I have had zero issues with it dying my breeches- even when new!
I’m a bit of a breeches hoarder and wear all different colors- many of them light. I have never noticed staining. I guess some of my breeches have LIGHT staining after many many wears, but nothing very noticeable. Now I’m going to go home and thoroughly inspect them all because I’m curious. How bad is the staining on your breeches?
Light staining on the seat. Looks like I sat on a dirty chair. Total skid mark on the zipper. These are brand new light gray breeches.
I had a 2014 Devoucoux Chiberta that was the worst with staining tan/white breeches. I used to buy cheap breeches from consignment so I could just pitch them afterwards- the stain would never come out. It literally looked like I pooped my pants!
No, it did not, and it didn’t start after I conditioned it either. It’s just anecdotal but it did work for me.
It can result in a smoother finish so your saddle might be less sticky. I recommend reading a few online discussions about it; some people prefer to dilute it with water depending on the finish they want.
I had a full buffalo mademoiselle and a buffalo/grain 2Gs and neither stained
I had a 9 year old Delegrange that still stained my breeches!
I think it’s a crap shoot
I used resolene (Fiebing’s from Amazon) to seal an orange saddle that bled incessantly after being dyed dark brown. Easy to apply, just paint on multiple light coats. It has a hard candy coating type of finish - slick, smooth, and water resistant - that is the exact opposite of a soft sticky calfskin feel.
This is what I ended up buying: Bee Natural RTC Sheridan Resist and Finish
I chose it after watching a YouTube video by a guy who works for Weaver that took six identical pieces of dyed leather and compared them side by side after treating with various finishers including Resolene. The RTC had the least effect on the color of the leather and had a matte finish, rather than glossy. I’d like my saddle to look unaltered. It won’t ship for a week, so I’ll report back once I’ve used it.
I tried the RTC first on a pair of red shoes I hardly ever wear, and it darkened the color very slightly and left a satin finish.
Took it to the barn and tested it on one of the panels. That looked okay so I applied it to the seat. It’s definitely glossier than the rest of the saddle, but hardly.
Tomorrow’s big test is to ride in a brand new pair of tan breeches. I’ll update again tomorrow.
Hey there, I recently dyed my saddle and am wondering what would work best. I’ve read about this product and am super curious how it worked for you and if it ended up staining your breeches?
Welcome to COTH!
I tried the Bee Natural RTC and liked the matte look of the finish, but it did not stop the staining. Then I bought Resolene and got a glossier finish, and the darn thing still stains light breeches, although not as bad.
Maybe others will chime in since you bumped this thread. I feel like I might have lowered the resale value of my saddle for not much benefit.
Yours is a dye job, so different issue, but I’ve since read that had I left my saddle out in the sun as the conditioner soaked in, I might not have had this problem. It’s directly related to how much I conditioned both saddles when they were new, which I did on both reps’ advice as breaking in the seat was supposed to solve the pain the saddles were causing me.
They caused me pain because they did not fit my horse and me properly. It was a balance problem. I learned a lot from these mistakes. Fortunately the Voltaire fits my new horse with a lift pad so it’s all good. The finish on the seat just looks weird.
Be aware also that the saddle won’t take oil if it’s sealed.
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