I almost always use these pads on clarinets - http://www.windplus.co.uk/supplies/lucien_...y_l_pisoni.html

Today the Howard arrived kitted out with brown leather pads throughout the instrument, now customers quite often request a leather pad for the register key but something which was up with the clarinet was a number of pads were not correctly seated.

Now I am in two minds whether or not to repad it with good quality skin pads (the lucien deluxe I normally use) or stick with these leather ones?

Advantages / disadvantages etc. most welcome.

I had my Bb repadded by Howarths and it came back with the brown leather pads everywhere but the register key (that one is cork). That was back in about 2001 - and other than a couple of them needing reseating I haven't had any pad issues since, all of them still seal well despite lots of use. At 1st I thought they were noisier than skin pads but nothing I couldn't live with. I've gone over to leather for all of my clarinets except for my A though that will also be changed when it needs a repad.