Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver

Using spoke washers is easy... just slide them over the spoke before you slide it through the flange hole. The brass washer will seat to the inside of the flange hole and make the spoke's head far more stable which makes for a stronger wheel. any movement at the spoke head causes fatigue and fatigue leads to breakage.

Any good shop in Toronto should be able to hook you up or try the hardware store as a washer is a washer... most modern spokes are 2mm at the elbow while most flanges are drilled to 2.3 mm.

I have built up a lot of old English hubs with modern spokes as it is not just SA hubs that have really narrow flanges... using spoke washers will lead to a stronger and longer lasting wheel.

If the old spokes are in good condition I see no problem in using them although I do prefer stainless.