RHM, the old 597's are steel or steel alloy I'm guessing. A magnet sticks to them but they feel a little bit lighter than the rims on my Raleigh USA grocery beater. They say Araya 26 x 1 1/4 w/o HP. They are shiny and nice looking, no rust, scratches, or mineral deposits. However, there's something wrong with the axle threads on the front wheel. I don't know if the threads could be re-cut or if the axle needs to be replaced. If I can fix that issue, I'd like to be able to sell or give them away to someone who could use them.