Originally Posted by
yellowdog76
Any preference? Are DB that much better?
Butted.
They stretch more for a given strain so the wheel can tolerate bigger hits before the wheel becomes laterally unsupported, shifts sideways, and collapses as the rim returns to its original shape.
They make for a wheel that's more tolerant of building errors stress relieving and correcting spoke lines since stress is more concentrated in the thin section which does not have residual stresses from the head forming operation or a bend at the nipple (due to deep rims with small hub flanges).
At around $0.10 a spoke for parts that last indefinitely (through many rim and bearing replacements) it's cheap insurance.