I forget which Butch referee to as caddies, but I’ve tried the aluminum/felt pads, the steel insert leather pads, the “super pads” (I think they’re called), as well as the old plain leather pads and the T-pads. The Geckos beat them all, hands down.
The oddity is, for the money spent, I’ve had to sharpen the Geckos a dozen times (light touch-up, mind you) in the last year and a half. It was nothing to go a year between touch-ups on my old Buckinghams (circa 1985). And the bottom straps on the Geckos might make good dog collars on mild mannered dogs. I cinch mine TIGHT, and they didn’t hold up but a few months. I replaced them with the nybuck straps off some Buckingham aluminum climbers and they’re doing just fine.