I was hoping to get some help from the list on pinning down the dates
for several Brooks saddles. I have checked the archives and all the
catalogs that Brooks has posted on their web site but am still a bit at
a loss. The first question has to do with what is I think (especially
given Chuck Schmidt's comments in the archives) is a pre W.W.II B17
narrow. It has all the hallmarks of a prewar B17 except it has saddle
bag rings on the cantle plate and not cut into the leather surrounded by
brass grommets. When I look at all the catalogs Brooks has posted it
appears that this should have bag rings in the leather although I see
in, I think the '35 catalog, at least one saddle that looks like it has
rings on the plate itself. Could this be a B17 narrow pre war?
The second question I have not seen discussed and the Brooks catalog
pics only confuse me more. I have a clearly pre W.W.II saddle that I
think is a B17 -- the side panels are so rubbed out that I cannot be
sure. However, unlike any other Brooks I have, it has two rather
irregular elongated openings (almost with diamonds cut in) where one
usually would see the round three hole pattern. I was under the
impression that this would date the saddle to the '30's but when I look
at the Brooks catalogs they all seem to have a 3 hole pattern and I see
no racing saddles (which this clearly it) in any dated catalog with the
elongated openings. Any ideas?
Thanks for any thoughts on these conundrums.
Edward Albert -- trying to place the correct saddle on the right bike
while the temperature remains below 20F -- in
Chappaqua, NY