At 04:30 AM 05/02/2008 -0800, simon bird wrote:
>
>okay, so i should have asked the vendor about this
>earlier. he told me my new B15 champion
>http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350018336385&ssPa
geName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=022
>was apparently made for export only and brooks used
>the, by then, 12 years old out of date oval date
>stamp.
>
>i'm not sure if this model -B15 champion S.SR* was
>available in the early 50's and if it was whether the
>stamp would have been the same as on the above linked
>saddle.
>
>anyway looks like a nice saddle and i'd have thought
>better quality than current B17s
I read where Brooks would only make a small number of their top saddles (B17?) from each hide because the blanks had to be oriented a certain way so they would stretch evenly. It seems that nowadays they try to make more efficient use of the leather to keep costs down. In Vol. 5 No. of BQ, Jan Heine reviewed a "Team Professional Titanium" that developed an asymetrical shape after 1000 km. This is a saddle that sold for $269 and I currently see them for $355 - $389. If I paid that much for a saddle (which I wouldn't) I'd expect it to be perfect and stay perfect for decades.
John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada