I’m a recycler, a bicyclist, and a dabbler in just about every form of art I can think of. I started recovering bicycle saddles in 2011. No one else seemed to be doing it, so I figured I would.

The leather I use is commercially available “sole bend,” which is vegetable tanned and very thick. I cannot control how thick it is— it comes to me the way it comes to me. Forming it into a saddle is a fair amount of work— I have to cut out the piece of leather, soak it in water for several hours, put it on a jig where I stretch the out of it, and then I start forming it into a saddle… and eventually rivet the new leather to the old frame.

I’ve been doing this for $100 plus shipping. I use either brass or steel rivets, either 9 or 12 mm diameter. I can do copper rivets, but I charge extra for that. If I have custom stamps 3D printed, or there’s anything that costs me extra, I will pass those costs on to the customer. Copper rivets are a lot more work, so also an upcharge (depending on size, amount of work).