The Griffin and Howe pad looks pretty orange when new but ages nicely into a brick red when used or artificially aged with dirty motor oil. I have not had to artificially age mine to get the look. I started using that pad in 1986 and still prefer it to all others except the original Silver. The original Silver has enormous plugs and is not preferred for small guns. Tony's #3 pictured looks suspiciously like the G&H pad, color and all.