Back in the day I too used rouge or simichrome from the motorcyle shop, another tangent. I used Nuovo Tipo hubs to tour and felt they were as good and smooth as records once polished.
I still have some simichrome in my metric rollaway box. I got it at the same place I bought things for my motocross Rickman Montessa motorcycle. The Rickman was a nickle plated englsh frame, read Whitworth fittings, with a Spanish Montessa, read metric, engine. It became even more of a mongrel when a thread was stripped and replaced with SAE threading. Three sets of wrenches to work on one motorcyle, big fun.
I still have the Ideale 90 saddle that I bought in about 1974. It has the alloy frame and when not ridden has a shaping device I made out of aluminum rod to retain the proper shape. I am not currently using it, but will again. I prefer it to some Brooks Pro's I have. I have another 90 with steel frame, on my green and black Mercier 300. The alloy 90 was presoftened as per the engraving on the leather. It is I believe softer than a comparable Brooks, therefore the shape retainer frame.
I am still looking for ingormation on a frame labeled Ital Sport. It has the right sizes for a European frame, but its dropouts are Japanese and does not have the original fork. I believe that the bottom bracket is 68mm not 70 as it should more properly be for an Italian made frame.I will find out today.
I do not remember the importer's name right now. The Italvega begat the Univega and is related to the Lotus. The Italvega, of which I have one, was Italian made. When costs rose then the bikes were then made in Japan and the name changed to Univega. Another name associated with the same importer was Lotus. Lotus was another nice Japanese frame, imho.
There are still good deals out there. At the bike co-op that I volunteer at in Sacramento a "kid", 20's, came with a Windsor in decent shape he has converted to a "fixie." He bought it in the last few months at a garage sale for $5. Super deal. I would like to find such a deal.
Happy Trails,
John Strizek in Sacratomato California USA