What are the best choices for bar tape that looks vintage and is comfortable, like modern tape?

For my Trek,I used Newbaum's cloth tape with a gel pad under the tape. I just padded the bar tops.

Newbaums cloth on the bars - padded cycling gloves.

On my Trek TX900, Benottos, 3 layers, started with a medium blue, then silver, then light blue. No need for padding underneath.
Tim

I like "cork" tape- I used to really like the Trek/Bontrager tape until they changed the color of the brown. I still have a few rolls of the white.

I got some of the Brooks "microfiber" tape and I really like that.

This is a pretty good shot of the Brooks tape:

Command Shifter + RRL Lever by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

I just got some Velo Orange 'Comfy Cotton' tape to try. I haven't installed it yet but it seems pretty nice in the package. It's a little thicker than Newbaum's so it should give a bit more cushion, although I don't imagine it will be as much as cork tape.

I think Velox Tressostar feels better than the Newbaums with my ungloved hands . If you don't go cloth, go Bike Ribbon.

If you want to minimize padding and thickness, try an old inner tube. Cut it into strips like bar wrap. Use that as the base layer. Then wrap whatever cosmetically appealing wrap you like on top. That trick is remarkably effective at reducing road vibration and adds comfort without looking too thick.

I did that for a year or so before deciding I didn't care about a vintage look and switched to the usual faux-"cork" padded bar wrap sold by Fizik, Arundel, Bontrager and others. My '89 Centurion Ironman isn't really vintage so it looks fine to me. But if I had a classic 1960s-'70s bike, I'd do the inner tube trick with cello wrap, cotton, or whatever I preferred.

two layers of cloth tape, but you have to do it the hardest way possible....





Cloth tape works for me, but I do wear gloves with modest padding.
One of my bikes has modern "cork" tape, so there is a bit of padding there. Not sure that it is any more comfortable, though. I tend to think that comfortable bars are mostly determined by how much weight is on your hands, and that this is largely determined by bike fit. Getting the seat back far enough will help get the weight off of the bars.

Steve in Peoria

MSW tape is surprisingly good. The 100 series (or whatever their low end tape is called) is not that great, but the higher level tape works well and looks good. Also use the Fizik Tempo and Brook Cambium tape.

I just use velox tressostar. There's no padding but your can get used to it pretty easy I think.