I have an old fillet brazed chicago schwinn and that thing is a tank. Beautiful brazed tube and just gorgeous, but if I was to get a custom frame and spending that kind of loot, I'd add aesthetics as a big part of it also. Lugs just make any bike look that much more custom and classic, especially handcarved ones. Whats wrong with loving lugs for its aesthetic value, especially since your spending so much money on it, might as well get something that catches the eye.