Shoe Polish and Elbow Grease

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Call me old-fashioned but I like simple things that are made well, work well and with care will last a long time.  I like the fact that, if you take care of "something", that "something" will take care of you. Things that are made well in the first place, even if not taken care of, can normally be brought back to life.

A good example is a well made leather saddle.  Here is a Bridgestone leather hammock saddle, well over 50 years old.  The leather is dry, faded and worn, the metal frame is still good but the chrome is pitted and flaking off.  However, this saddle has many more years of use left.


Start with a can of brown shoe polish.


A dauber and buffing brush.


For the purpose of comparison, I've applied masking tape to one half of the saddle and will polish only one half.  Start buy applying shoe polish to the leather working it into the leather.



Allow to dry for ten minutes and using the buffing brush, buff vigorously.
Repeat the process several times until a nice protective sheen appears.

Leather saddles are wonderful, not only aesthetically, but over time they literally mold themselves to the contour of your body, resulting in a perfect fit. Pure comfort, just like a leather baseball glove or leather shoes.