If you search for "Brooks England factory" on Google today, you get the basics directly on your screen via AI: around 22 employees produce approximately 100,000 leather saddles annually at the main factory in Smethwick near Birmingham. British craftsmanship despite a checkered history. But a visit to the site opened up a much larger universe. Which has a lot to do with the history of Brooks, but also with one's own history.

Heavy Metal

Metalworking has a long tradition in Birmingham and the surrounding area; as early as the 16th century, local blacksmithing was considered exceptional. With industrialization, Birmingham established itself as a stronghold of arms manufacturing, and defense companies and the steel industry created numerous jobs, also for the high proportion of immigrants who came to England from all over the Commonwealth. Today, the "City of a thousand trades" is one of England's most ethnically diverse cities, having long since transformed into a service metropolis. Even if the city isn't flush with cash, property prices are rising, large construction cranes dominate the skyline, and things are happening. One is always torn between truly impressive buildings and rather dilapidated corners that are not aging gracefully but show that the gap between social classes in England has widened even further than in Germany.

In the evening, you stroll through alleyways along old canals, which are not coincidentally reminiscent of Peaky Blinders; old industrial properties are now home to clubs, breweries, and restaurants. The city flirts a little with its tough image; in addition to recurring Shelby references, the city's other tough guys are also remembered: Black Sabbath. A bridge in the city center pays homage to the band, and in New Street Station, the oversized steampunk bull Ozzy occasionally nods his head. The city's music culture also has something to do with the place itself; besides Black Sabbath, other metal legends like Judas Priest and Napalm Death also come from the city. But Birmingham's multicultural aspect has also contributed to an impressive musical diversity; Steel Pulse, UB40, Dexy Midnight Runners, Electric Light Orchestra, Moody Blues, Duran Duran, Swell Maps, and Rockers Hi-Fi all found their home here.

Welcome to Brooks England

From the center of Birmingham, it's about 5 kilometers by train to Smethwick, the home of Brooks. Strolling through the well-worn industrial area, you pass numerous scrap dealers and car repair shops, aka DIY garages, which would make perfect locations for Guy Ritchie's gangster grotesques. The company premises and building of the legendary brand appear rather discreet; anything could be produced behind those walls. Open the door, pass through a small rustic corridor with founder photos and old saddles, and suddenly you're in a production hall that transports me back 45 years to my own time as a belt maker's apprentice in the early 80s. Brooks, founded in 1866, and my old training company in Iserlohn, Hermann Sprenger, founded in 1872, produce different products, but the machinery in scuffed green, the noise, the scarred factory floor, storage boxes, tools and racks, the individual workstations – my time tunnel is perfect. Plus the smell, that very specific mix of heated metal and burnt oil, naturally complemented by fresh leather at Brooks. Here you breathe the history of craftsmanship, far from modern, clean, and efficient production sites. In fact, you wouldn't even think of using such a word because "factory" simply describes it better.

Of course, if you spend a lot of time in industrial areas, you will still find some of these businesses all over Europe, often suppliers to other companies, which, with old but functional machinery, produce parts that have been manufactured in the same way for many decades. However, the number of companies whose name still has such significance for their own production area and is so closely associated with high-quality work is probably no longer very high. Modernization and product updates are the order of the day.

Brooks moved into the current production hall in Smethwick in 1961, but most of the machinery is older, as is the spirit. Here, not only leather saddles are produced; ultimately, it's about an icon. A timeless classic. More or less unchanged for well over 100 years. Depending on the model, a steel or titanium frame on which a top made of core leather swings freely, absorbing vibrations and providing a comfortable ride. Long-term testing included: The B17 was introduced in the 1890s and is therefore considered the oldest product still in production in the bicycle universe.

They are also proud of the leather they use, which is also used by Hermès and Louis Vuitton. Brooks naturally has cherry-picking rights, as the need for thick, high-quality leather hides for saddles is far greater than for mundane bags or belts from other premium brands. If, like me, you now get the idea to Google the prices of the mentioned products: you are moving in other spheres there. Whether the craftsmanship behind them differs so much is debatable, values are ultimately not created by products, manufacturing, and quality. A used 2008 Birkin Bag costs €13,740, a 1960s Brooks Professional in decent condition today is USD 85. And yet both are testimonies to a craftsmanship that has become rare worldwide.

Brooks also manufactures the frames on site; all individual parts used are punched, bent, welded, and then nickel-plated, chrome-plated, or copper-plated in a galvanic plant in the neighborhood. In parallel, the saddle surfaces of the thick core leather are punched out according to the model, shaped with the help of water baths and presses, trimmed by hand on the flanks, and finally joined to the frame with rivets. If you've ever looked closely at a Brooks saddle with copper rivets, you'll recognize the individual hammer blows on the relatively soft rivet surface and get a small impression of how precisely one has to handle targeted hard blows here. After all, no trousers should suffer at the edge; the transition to the leather must be seamless and flawless. The person swinging the hammer here knows exactly what they are doing and has learned it over a long time.     

Last year, for the first time in the company's history, the factory in Smethwick opened its doors to visitors and introduced an open day weekend to give interested parties the opportunity to look behind the scenes. They are looking for new, young employees who will learn the craft in the factory and who are essential for the company's continued existence, despite all its traditions. Anyone who starts here has a good chance of staying with the company for a long time; many of the current crew have been with the company for over 20 years and have also experienced turbulent times. In 2002, Brooks was sold by its then owners John Godfrey Macnaughtan and Adrien Williams, who had previously bought the company out of the ailing Raleigh cosmos and thus saved it from liquidation, to Selle Royal on the condition that the production of leather saddles would remain at the main factory. The future is secure.

The extent to which a brand like Brooks today represents the good, sustainable side of the cycling industry can be seen in the interest the brand receives. While we were on site with a team of German and Austrian dealers, the colleagues from Bespoked filmed a video there, which will certainly soon be seen on well-known websites like Radavist. We look forward to moving images from the halls in Smethwick for the interested community.

21st Century Saddle

Today, Selle Royal is aware of the history and has, especially in recent years, set the course for a future that respects the tradition and significance of the company. It's not about conquering the mass market; it's about clearly communicating the value and uniqueness of the products and making Brooks fit for the next 100 years. For many years, the product range has gone beyond leather saddle production; the Cambium counterpart, made with a natural rubber surface, is now produced in Italy and contributes significantly to the company's turnover. In addition, the logo with the linked OOs now adorns high-quality bags, grips, handlebar tapes, and baskets; the brand has become an integral part of urban cycling culture beyond the saddle. But there are always new developments with the saddles as well. Limited editions in special colors are difficult to realize because a minimum number of hides has to be dyed, but they are rightly highly sought after. Even with a perfect product, there are always opportunities for change. 

Even though nobody will be screwing a Brooks B17 onto a new Orca Terra Race, a glance at our travel group showed how diverse the applications of leather saddles still are today. Whether it's the classic Gazelle, as with the colleagues from Radlust in Berlin, folding bikes from Bicicli, Radfieber or Citybiker in Vienna, as a touring and trekking saddle for long distances at Radsport Kimmerle, for the restored racing bike classic or the stylish city bike: the stories surrounding the saddles are as diverse as their owners. And the fact that a Brooks can be repaired if necessary can reassure all those who have become so accustomed to their own saddle after the break-in period that they no longer want to ride anything else. Here, incidentally, we can refer directly to the colleagues from Pues in Münster, who, with their know-how, appropriate tools, and much passion, take care of damaged saddles from Birmingham.

We were often called "retro" at the beginning, a term that I personally found rather inappropriate, because I am at home in the here and now and neither want to nor can change anything about that. I don't like high-quality steel frames because they are so beautifully retro, but because they are still a wonderful and contemporary option for many purposes today. Brooks saddles breathe a similar spirit; they are still a good option today for people who are looking for their very specific saddle for their bike and pay less attention to the last gram than to the "perfect fit" after the break-in period. And who want their very own personal saddle that doesn't come from a 3D printer.

Pictures (C) Volker Banken