does anybody know how/where to get a brooks b-17 narrow saddle butchered to make it look more like a swallow or one their other narrower saddles?
cheers will

yes.

step 1

1. find a likely looking forum and search it for similar threads and questions

I believe it was JOL who posted exhaustive pictures on his chop job, search for his thread about it.

i did it the other day. get some tape, stick it from the inside of the furthest rivet, along the line. get angle grinder. cut.

i actually used a sharp kitchen knife. it took a while.

After starting threads like this one, one can usually look at the similar threads area at the bottom of the page and simply find the answer by navigating the hyperlinks.

thanks for the replies. searched this and other forums etc. but worried i would balls the job up. Has anyone ever taken theirs to a bikeshop/shoe repair shop to have theirs trimmed down?

I like the cobbler idea...

I have been considering it for ages, never seem to get round to it.

Exhaustive! How dare you. ;)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/landres...7603712728563/

How much would you pay a shop?

Exhaustive was a compliment JOL. Exhausting would be rude.

Back to dictionary.com for me!

'how much would you pay a shop'
(sorry haven't yet mastered quoting)
around £10-15
reasonable? too much, too little?
i think that it really depends on the shop. However prepared to spend this money as it Could so easily go wrong if i do it. Jol, when you chopped your saddle have you since found that the leather on your saddle has become saggy or cracked?

I tabbed and tied it so no sagging.
Was a little cracked before hand but I have since sold it.
Ask 50:14.

I know someone who's done a few custom saddles.PM me if you want his details.

Wooo! I did mine last night as a direct result of this thread. Its a piece of piss, well a bit fiddly and not that easy if you're not confident with crafty things. I did a tan Team Pro that I bought second hand off smallbrownbike. I used a single bolt holding together the flaps I left, which I folded one over the other, uncut. It looks pretty neat, they sort of make a round tube tensioner. I trimmed the back and nose too, which is highly recommended, gets rid of that flappy useless bit below the rivets and the brooks badge. I used some leather wax stuff on the cut surfaces after smoothing them and adding some waterproofing, finished them nicely.

Will just have a go yourself, its fun.

Couldn't stop looking at it afterwards.

Its bound for my mercian build.

Got a qoute from a bloke in a bike shop of £25 to butcher my Brooks B17. Is this too much?

Hi, Could i have the details of the bloke you know who has customised his leather seat?

do it urself, piss easy, just need sharp knife or blade

i've thought about this a lot... what does one use for the bolt assembly underneath? will it fuck up the saddle in the long term?

I got a mirror bracket and some bolts. Worked a treat. If that guy does it for 25 quid, I'll do it for 20.

Did it myself, looks great just need to sand the edges and give it a polish. Took me a few hours but well worth it.