Jaouen, Here in the US, it was a practice by some shops to modify saddles- adding keyholes and shaving the excess leather off the back, along with the badge. I have a catalog describing prices to do such modifications. I did not look at your other auctions to see that you were selling a lot of 1950s saddles. I just looked at the one and drew a conclusion from that. I am sorry. I retract my statement. I did not know they came from the Ideale factory, there was no mention of it's provenance, and the oval Brooks badge was found on 1950s saddles, and before. Seems like a transition saddle.
The saddle is the real deal. I am sorry if I in any way affected the auction. I guess talking it out is only bringing more attention to the auction.
joel flood philadelphia, PA
On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 12:42 PM, jaouen BAZIN <jaouenbazin@free.fr> wrote:
> Hello Joel,
> i'm the seller of the saddle
> http://ebay.com/
> temZ370292084084QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item563720cd74
>
> you said "the other saddle is nice, but not 1950s, and keyhole looks not
> factory
> done, as the earlier keyholes were. plus the later stamping. It has
> obviously been "hotrodded," because the back leather has been trimmed
> as well."
>
> First you can ask me before, i never sold junk items or if i do i ask on
> auction
> This saddle from a lot of saddle i bougth several years at Ideale factory.
> of course lot of ideale saddle and beautiful protopye as 53 "loch ness" 57
> "criteriumdes alpes" etc
> and lot of other saddle Brooks,AM etc This other saddle was stock for
> concurence.
> So you can be sure this is new and absolutly not "hotrodded".
> For date in this stock not any saddle up to 1960, and this brooks was with
> other saddle date 50's
> you'll be sure Ideale factory have the saddle before every people.
>
> you can see the same on velobase
> http://www.velobase.com/
> 0AF44D888C67&Enum=106&AbsPos=6
>
> Regards
> Jaouen BAZIN
> Wissous, France
> sceno234