Knee brace vs. pants question

I need some help finding a solution to my never ending problem of blowing holes in the knees of my riding pants. I've tried most brands on the market, but despite their "reinforced" leather knee patches I still only get a handful of rides before I shred holes in the legs.

I do wear knee braces and have worn different ones over the years with the same results. I never put the gear in a dryer so the leather isn't getting prematurely aged. I will admit that I probably have a habit of gripping the bike a little on the hard side with my legs because I talk to people with braces and similar gear and that usually don't have nearly as much trouble as I do.

There must be a solution out there someone has already figured out. Is there a specific pair of pants out there that can stand up to the abuse of knee braces and a tight grip?

any help appreciated...

~WOODRACER