I have a Custom Saddlery Icon Flight that I bought used. My saddle is Vienna leather, and I’m curious if I should be using specific products or processes to clean and condition it. It is quite a bit softer and lacks the sort of hard surface or “varnish” that the usual leathers seem to have. To be honest, if I’d ordered my saddle new I would have gotten it in regular buffalo leather, as I don’t think the Vienna wears as well. It seems to require conditioning more than the average saddle, but then I wonder if I am conditioning it too much. Thoughts?
The saddle maker will know what is best for their type of leather. I do believe you can condition too much, less is often best but ask the maker on which products they recommend using.
I have a Custom Icon Flight that I bought brand new and the instructions that came with my saddle said to clean the leather with a very slightly damp sponge or towel (I prefer a terry cloth towel) and to condition lightly with Effax approximately once a week or as needed. I also use an old toothbrush dipped in water to scrub in the nooks and crannies and along the seams and then use a dry towel to wipe everything down. When I apply conditioner, I use a light coat of the Effax with a sponge and then use a shoe brush to help rub it into the leather. I live in Maryland where it’s typically pretty humid, so I’ve found that I don’t usually need to condition more than once a week and I always keep my saddle covered.
Here’s care information from their website:
