The most obvious reason to me is that 4 or 5 coats of orange shellac on
white cloth tape will give you a perfect match to a Brooks honey colored
saddle. Another reason is that I like the feel of it on my gloves. There
is nearly a Velcro like sureness to your grip that is probably more
significant psychologically than in any real way, but I do like it. It is
also fun to finish it with hemp cord...it is just an enjoyable thing to do.
It's also a lot more durable than one might think...lasts for years.
If you would like it to feel a little smoother sand lightly between the
middle coats. Be sure to cover the bike if doing it with the bars on the
bike...it flies more than you think and you don't want to have to work any
harder on clean up than necessary. Let it dry well between coats. Buy
small cans of shellac and toss them when you're done. You don't want to
keep it around.
I have an excellent drawing showing how to finish with the hemp twine...
if anyone wants a copy, I'll forward it to them.
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Mi