Frequently Asked Questions

The process I use to refinish the saddles is a permanent process that, over several days, gently removes the current sealants and topical colorants.  The saddle can then be hand carved and hand tooled.  I then hand dye using custom blended leather dye colors with a paint brush to get the color and details.  This ensures that the color is not just on the surface like painted/stained leather.  I then use special leather paints and sometimes mix my own paints using powdered pigments, to bring out accents and details, and add depth to the textures. These paints, applied before sealant, bond with the leather for maximum wear resistance.  Then, over several days, the saddle is sealed, cured, and oiled to preserve the artwork.

The saddles are triple sealed and cured before being sent off, so there is very very minimal risk of staining.  It is more likely that you will risk oil stain from the neatsfoot during the first few uses.    So far no one has had any issues with staining, but to protect your clothing we recommend just cleaning ALL new tack (including ours) with a good quality saddle soap, leather cleaner, or even damp rag before use. 

I dragonified my first saddle in 2022 and it hasn't faded or worn off with regular use and abuse.  The dye permanently dyes the leather underneath.  So it isn't a surface stain or paint that rubs off or peels.  If you cut into the leather it is actually colored after the process I use.  The accent paints that are added are specially formulated to bond with the leather before a sealant is applied and are the same products designed for and used in the shoe/boot industry.  

I use custom blended Angelus dyes and Angelus leather paints, so I recommend using leather cleaning and conditioning products to best preserve your piece of artwork. But any high quality gentle leather cleaner and leather conditioner/oil like neatsfoot or mink oil are good choices.  Just like any other tack, regular cleaning and oiling are essential to maintain the leather and preserve your piece.