Hi all,
I’m taking a lightly used 2024 calfskin Butet saddle on trial. It’s gorgeous but I wish it was a little darker in color to match my oiled Edgewood bridle/martingale. Has anyone had any luck darkening a calfskin saddle or a calfskin Butet with any sort of oil or darkening oil?
Thanks!
I’ve darkened many Butet calfskin saddles having worked in a saddle shop. Use a 2" wide high quality paintbrush and apply Neatsfoot oil with long even strokes. I’ve only done this on saddles that were new and had no other products on them. Applying oil to a saddle that has been cleaned with soaps, oiled/conditioned, ridden and sweated upon may affect the evenness of its final color. It might be prudent to start on the underside of the flaps and see how the oil takes. Obviously don’t do anything to the saddle until you’re sure you’re keeping it. Good luck!
Thank you!! I was hoping something like oiling it may be enough to darken it a few shades without having to get into dyeing it and such. I think it’s new enough that it shouldn’t have a ton of product on it.
There is a product called Leather Honey that we use for conditioning carriage harness leather, most of which is black. Great product, but it says on the label that it WILL darken light color leather. It colors evenly, but how dark will depend on the brown leather itself. New brown reins will look more used, going from chestnut to brown. Keeps my harness very soft, flexible for use.
You would have to try it on the saddle underside, then let it sit a couple days to see what your get. I rub it in with my hands, just needs Dawn dish soap to clean it off your skin. Hands are soft after, but does not remove your callous’ if you need them!
I am not a Neatsfoot oil fan, do NOT like how it feels on my skin. So I never use it on leather goods here.
I use Walsh’s Blue Ribbon for darkening, it has a little bit of stain in it so you don’t have to over-oil to get it to darken beautifully. I always get lots of compliments on my tack.
As a long-time Butet person, I would not get my hopes up on this. The old ones darken a little with oil, but not very much. They now sell them in two colors, so the dark leather-preferrers have an option.
I remember the old ones, they were an ugly yellowish brown color. But I think it was around the time when the FB2 tree came out that the leather was a more substantial, beautiful darker color so I was surprised when OP referred to a “newish” 20024 Butet. I don’t ride anymore so didn’t realize they still make a lighter colored leather as well, I had only seen the dark leather saddles.
We are trial-ing one now, so I’ll be interested in hearing if you able to darken yours, OP!
The new “gold” color is darker than the original Butet leather but it’s not chocolate that’s for sure! Sort of similar to the color of Edgewood.
Not my fav, tbh but in our case, it fits the horse and we need that more than anything as well as needing a new saddle asap - horses! 
There is a way to do it but you have to be VERY careful. Heat up vegetable oil and apply it.
Now they come in a medium chocolate-ish brown and a dark brown. I wish this one was the darker brown but it’s still a pretty shade of brown. I don’t think they’re making those awful honey/orange colored ones anymore 
We’re in the same boat. It arrives on trial tomorrow so we’ll see 
If it’s a perfect fit I’ll learn to love the color but worth a try to darken it a bit. Fortunately it’s not the awful orange color but I definitely prefer the dark chocolate brown color 
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