The bars I've had the best luck with, as far as getting comfortable on the hoods with old brakes, are the ones that bend up along the tops, and then angle out a bit to the drops. I'm not sure what they're called, but they seemed fairly common on older inexpensive bikes. The outward angle of the drops combined with turning the brake levers inward (a lot, like 30*) can create a nearly flat horizontal transition that allows the hands to rest on the bars and the outsides of the hoods in a position that feels more comfortable to me. Plus a lot of tape of course.