My saddle received a large scuff on the seat. I heard that beeswax will help to smooth it out. Anyone tried this or have advice?
Any scuff that hasn’t broken the surface of the leather will be eased by application of any balm or conditioner or oil. If it’s broken the surface of the leather that can’t be repaired but yeah, wax might seal down the visible suede fibers. A lot depends on your leather. Real vegetable tanned full hide leather is very resilient and looks good weathered. Calf skin is more fragile, and coated leather on cheap gear is very fragile and can’t develop a patina
What kind of leather is your seat?
It is a custom trilogy saddle, it broke the fibers which is why I thought the wax would help it lay down.
Yes you can use the wax to fill in the cracks somewhat. It just depends how it is scratched. It also adds a layer of protection. I can’t remember if it helps to heat it up or not.
Oil or wax will help diminish the physical appearance of a cosmetic defect, but nothing will “heal” a defect in leather. The efficacy of masking damage will also depend on the nature of the leather. For example, my old, circa 1990s stiff and waxy saddle won’t hide many defects… but my softer, modern saddle is more forgiving.
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Also, my saddle receives seat scuffs from dismount errors regularly, sometimes multiple times a day. I buff them out or ignore them. And when I don’t ignore them, I just buff them out with elbow grease, saddle soap, and conditioner. If they persist, they are battle scars.
I wouldn’t use oil. The scratch has already weakened the leather and oil might cause more issues.
