The Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts were prepared from conventional chloride precursors by adsorption or precipitation-deposition methods. Their activities for hydrogenation reactions of cyclohexene and acetophenone were compared with those of commercial catalysts. The Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts obtained from the adsorption procedure reveal higher hydrogenation activity than commercial catalysts and the catalysts prepared by the precipitation-deposition method. Their improved performances are attributed to the decreased metal crystallite sizes of Pt or Pd formed on the active carbon support upon the adsorption of the precursors probably due to the same negative charges of the chloride precursor and the carbon support. Under the preparation conditions studied, the reduction of the supported catalysts using borohydrides in liquid phase is superior to a gas phase reduction by using hydrogen in the viewpoint of particle size, hydrogenation activity and convenience.