There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
The rubber kit came with the picks packed in a clear plastic bag, and the rubber slip-on handles packed separately in their own bag. You do have to slide the rubber handles onto each pick, one-by-one, yourself. It's a hassle. But it's easier if you use one of the heating methods outlined above to make the rubber pliable first.
I'm not sure which version I like better. The stainless handles seem stiff and very durable. But the rubber handles have a nicer gripping surface.
The stainless comes in the slim button close case. The rubber comes in the clam shell zipper case (which is nicer).
But if there's one area where the stainless really trumps the rubber (besides the stiffness and durability) is that the stainless kit feels notably slimmer and, therefore, more easily packed. The rubber kit seems big and bulky in comparison.
I have only used the metal sets and they can be slick. If you wrapped the handles in ducttape it might solve the problem but I am not sure.
I would wait until someone who has owned the rubber grips comment and go from there.