Originally Posted by
BleeckerSt_Girl
Just my personal take on it, but i would think that the cutout *would* compromise the structural integrity of the saddle, putting more pressure on the 2 outer corners of the steel frame which would be the only things keeping the saddle from sort of folding in half along the cutout. I would think the solid stretch of heavy leather would normally distribute your weight and pressure more evenly over the whole frame.
Otherwise it's hard to imagine a Brooks frame breaking after only one year.