The way I finish a "Silvers" pad to help excellerate the brick color that looks so nice, is to soak the pad(on or off the stock)in a dish of pure linseed oil (cover the pad completely). It will take several "treatments" to obtain the desired finish, but it's a more satisfying in the long run.Additionally, I make sure the oil is warm, so as to penetrate the pad. Another newer method I've tried is Orange furniture oil.