London Fixed-gear and Single-speed SJS Cycles

recently i got to visit the brooks factory in birmingham to see how they made a brooks saddle. i guess the most amazing thing is seeing that the entire process is done by hand, on machines that look like they're as old as time.



so a brooks saddle starts life as a chunk of leather. they only use the thickest part of the cow (the ass).



all the leather is cut out by hand using heavy dies





then the leather is soaked in a bath to soften it



and then meets its first press that gives it shape



it's trimmed afterwards





then it meets its second press







it then gets branded with it's model number



and of course the brooks badge




then the saddle gets its first good polish




meanwhile in another part of the factory, the metalwork is made (by hand, of course). the saddle skeleton is stamped out


and then punched into shape



titanium ones are harder, so they need to be heated to red hot first. brooks does this by putting them on the bricks, under two acetylene torches.

the rails are cut out and bent by hand




and the two parts are rivetted together




back in the leatherworks, someone rivets the nose to the saddle




the rails and skeleton are then riveted onto the saddle




and the rivets are hammered so that they're flat (!!!)




and for a swift (and i've always wondered how this got here) the sides are cut out -- by hand, of course


the saddle is then tensioned


and polished


and that's how you make a brooks saddle!

there was a good video i saw that showed it all
i think this is it

Top thread. Thanks for sharing.

+1

+1

This had made me love mine even more! Great thread, cheers for posting Teddy

fascintaing and all by hand- more than justifies the price. I am hinting to my Mrs already for my birthday in Sept!

i was expecting a cheap knock off way of making a brooks, pretty cool though!

what are the white saddles in the photo before the metalwork info? i didnt know brooks made white leather saddles?

yeah i'm amazed at how labour-intensive the process is... and how much craftsmanship goes into a brooks saddle. it's the antethesis of an assemblyline. really amazing to witness.

this is the machine that tests the saddles (a bit like those ikea machines that open and close kitchen cupboards):

they're the special edition white swallow stussy collaboration. lush.

now i know why those fuckers are soo expensive....top investigation there teddy, great stuff

Wow. Great stuff Teddy. its great to see an art form still exsists

i had a similar tour of skullyChops



found the secret south london location..


Met with a secret handshake...


design process started first thing...

before the crafting phase

Bike Workshop in Notting hill are Londons #1 Brooks seller. they have one of these in a box. limited edition given to Brooks asellers.. its lovely. glad they have a new one on release!

wow, great pics! thanks for sharing.

thats rather tasteful for stussy not even graphiced... now how much more than a standard very expensive swallow is it?

Great, Teddy thanks for sharing, that was like watchin an episode of 'How it's made' on Discovery!

mmmm i love my brooks! thanks teddy...

Oh yeah got the the info back on your mercian ted the other day. I can scan it in and send it to you. where you want it sending to? pm us...

Jamie...

And that is why they are awesome. Tell me anything like the same care goes into a Rolls.

+1 nice pics

Good job Teddy; really excellent post.

Funny though to hear Greasy describe Bicycle Workshop (run by the fabulous Nina - best mechanic in London) as being in Notting Hill. I would have said Ladbroke Grove or Westbourne Grove. Its like people who have recently downsized to Peckham, they say its East Dulwich.

awesome work ted

I fukin live in Birmingham. Why have I not been here yet?

that's fantastic ted, a much better insight on how Brooks make their saddle, far better than what the video show.

oh man that looks like such a dream visit~

Nice thread Teddy...

Has anyone said "gooch" yet?

Nice Teddy! Very Picture-Picture from Mr. Rogers.

what do they do with the waste leather? as there is a lot of waste

bartape, leather grips, bags, and mudguards?

hopefully.

Just great. I appreciate my brooks all the more now. Thanks for taking the time/ effort to put that together.

They stick it back on the moo-moo...

Lovely thread, Teddy

nice thread mr teddy. ... um ... look! what's that over there?! :D

Nice one Teddy.

That's amazing, yet another fine export from Brum. Yeah no problem guys! *absorbs gratitude*

Nice.

I've got two brooks saddle I've picked up cheap but just can't bring myself to try them. My bike bike is heavy enough without one. Maybe I'll give one a go over the summer.

Riveting stuff Ted!

;D

Not just Swifts, lots of Brooks have this edge on. It is called 'chamfering'. The tool is called a 'french skiver' (great name) and it's a fucker to get smooth like this guy does it. I've got one and it's well hard to get good.


They make the handlebar grips that are made of layered circles of off-cuts. Hardly any waste at Brooks, as the hide is really valuable. It's all in the video.

You stalking me, son?

where abouts in birmingham is the factory located? i had no idea they were produced in brum!

the factory's in smethwick. when brooks first started out, they were made in downtown birmingham (on the site where the bt tower is now)

Just around the back of Smethwick Rolfe Street station. I did a ceremonial ride past when I bought my first Brooks

nice work man, really good thread. you've got to love a factory tour!

my goodness..you're the bomb..nice information and really top thread!

Great thread, but now i have the additional expense of buying a white limited addition brookes saddle and sourcing some matching handle bar tape - cheers though

Great thread - now I know why it's so comfy!

good thread, tedward

Don't worry, it's all turned into bespoke BDSM kit for small woodland animals.

Thank you to the original poster for posting the pics of the Brooks Saddle Factory, its awesome to see step by step to how it's made. I'm really after one after I've done the bike to how I want it to be!

Amazing thread - thanks!

I don't feel so bad about the money I've spent on one now....actually, it seems like a bargain!