Knee pads - necessary?

I was looking through a catalog and stumbled across some knee pads for telemark skiing. I can't say the idea passed through my mind at all before seeing them, but for some reason now I keep eying them any time I check out gear online. My question is, does any one use them? Or recommend using them? Or is it just something they're marketing to saps such as myself?  ???

Thanks for any input.

I don't tele, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night.

The tele skiers I see using them generally only put them on if the snow is thin, and stumps/rocks/etc, are near the surface. For kneepads to be effective, you need to be dropping your knee pretty far and have obstacles near the surface for them to hit. On the other hand, hitting a stump with your knee in that position is a very serious injury, so if there's even a slight chance of it happening, pads seem like a good idea. Alternatively, you could lock your heel in and not bend the knee so far. (Just kidding! )

Oh, and I also know one tele-skier here who used kneepads as a way to keep his legs warm when caught in a snowshower wearing shorts, but there are better ways to keep warm.

I wear them all the time telemarking and they have paid for themselves many times over.  Unless your on groomers, it only takes a ice chunk or rock just under the snow to end your day, week or year.  If your aggressive they are a must have IMO.  They have saved my knees many times, plus they keep them warm.

Black Diamond has some articulating black ones that stay in place, light and work the best of the three different ones I've tried.

BTW if you do a search at www.telemarktips.com they have long discussions on this topic.

On the other hand, If you are not aggressive and stand high you will not need them.

I too use them all the time, partly because I am a crappy telemarker and tend to eat $%#@ a lot and partly because I like the warmth when you are on your knees checking out a snow pit or whatever else. I have a pair of the aforementioned black diamond ones, and I agree they are good.

My only complaint about tele knee pads is the inevitable mocking by my AT skiing friends when they see me walking around in the parking lot in my underwear and knee pads before I get my shell pants on. Jerks.

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My only complaint about tele knee pads is the inevitable mocking by my AT skiing friends when they see me walking around in the parking lot in my underwear and knee pads before I get my shell pants on.  Jerks.

Knee pads?  Face plants?  : :

I usually wear knee pads (and a helmet) for the same reasons that I wear a seat belt in my car. I have never needed any of these safety devices to save me from injury, but I might sometime in the future. I do not find them to be particularly uncomfortable, so why not use the protection?
Since my style often employs an extremely low stance, my knees will occasionally hit my skis. With knee pads, it feels like kneeling on a pillow when I go "knee-to-ski".