I'm looking for a set of 700 rims for my Motobecane Grand Record, and thinking maybe of some concave Weinmanns, which I think were original to at least some GRs. They came in two widths, as far as I know, both of which came in with-eyelets (to reinforce the spoke holes) and without-eyelets versions. Does anyone know if the rims themselves are identical except for the presence or absence of the eyelets? And do eyelets actually help? I've ridden a bunch of rims without eyelets--including a pair of apparently-indestructible Arayas from an old Univega that I'm still riding--and while eyelets make me feel more confident and seem classier, the only rim I ever had fail because a spoke nipple pulled through it was an eyeletted one.
Any wheelbuilding veterans out there have any thoughts on this?