Hopefully, your LBS should be able to help you out, but as Michael says, suitable blocks are sold under the Fibrax name, and ones with leather inserts were made (to give better stopping in the wet) but I think that these are no longer in production. I've bought some on eBay - they turn up from time to time. They may well have been made by Fibrax, and I've also bought them under the brand name "Raleigh Raincheck". I've checked mine, and I have two patterns - one has the leather in a "sandwich" with the normal brake block material, and the other (marked "Sturmey Archer") has the leather full width across the face of the block. I haven't used any of these for years, and can't remember how good they were, but I think they were quite effective.
The Fibrax 269 blocks are the ones for the 1950's British caliper brakes, such as GB, Phillips and Monitor. These are still available, but a friend told me that the dimensions of the current (outsourced) ones differ from the old ones made by Fibrax.
In any event, my advice would be to see what your LBS has to offer, and compromise on the side of safety, rather than originality.
Don't let all this put you off; literally millions of cyclists rode steel rims in all weathers. You just need the right equipment.
Neil Foddering Weymouth, Dorset, England
>From: "Schmid" <schmidi@gaponline.de>
>To: "'dima'" <dima@rogers.com>,"'Classic Rendezvous'"
><classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: AW: [CR]Brake pads for steel rims
>Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:48:22 +0200
>
>I have heard of english made Fibrax pads for steel rims or the famous
>Koolstops.
>I remember seeing Fibrax with an leather insert and think those were the
>ones for steelrims but i might be wrong.
>Sinde I do not have a steel rimmed bike I have not tested either of
>them.
>
>Michael Schmid
>Oberammergau
>GermanyTel.: +49 8821 798790
>Fax.:+49 8821 798791
>mail: schmid@zunterer.com
>www.zunterer.com
>
>
>-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>Von: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
>[mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] Im Auftrag von dima
>Gesendet: Dienstag, 24. Juli 2007 08:54
>An: Classic Rendezvous
>Betreff: [CR]Brake pads for steel rims
>
>
>Hi,
>
>As was pointed out to me by Neil, steel rims require special pads. And
>again, I ask for recommendations on which pads to get, and where to get
>them. Thanks.
>
>--
>Cheers,
>Dmitry Yaitskov,
>Toronto, Canada.