Repairing Your Leather Saddle Bags

Leather saddle bags tend to sag when used for extended period of time, the good news is that they can be repaired or put into their original shape. It’s easy and you can do it yourself.

1. Wet your saddle bags for about 30 seconds
2. Put some news paper in the bags almost stuffing them
3. Try putting bags back into their original shape while they are still using your hands.
4. Once they take their original shape let them dry for 24 hours.
5. After 24 hours take out the paper you originally stuffed in them.

You can also enhance this process by removing the buckles allowing the stiffener to work its way on a more flat surface.

To help your bags maintain their shape for a longer period of time do the following

Use plastic sheet an inch smaller than the outer edge according to the matching shape of the top and front of your saddle bag for helping the drying bags maintain shape. Luan, or 16-24 ga metal can also be us an alternate to plastic. Apply one coat each of contact cement and stiffener and let the bags dry. Apply a second coat but this time fix the pieces together before the cement dries off. You have to be quick to do that. Make 5/32” hole through leather as well as the stiffener so that there is room for pop rivets or bolts to pass through. You can strengthen the sides with plastic strips 4-5” wide by 12” long and cement from top of the sites.

The reshaping of leather saddle bags depends on the quality of leather used in the leather bags. Some bags might take more than one attempt to properly reshape.