Originally Posted by 63rickert

Take a ride on a wheel with a really high flange hub like a Prior. You will feel the difference. If you do the comparison test with two flat rims you will feel it more. Tall rims remove so much feel nothing matters.

Yes, there were good wheel builders in past. One wheel I have in regular use was built by Oscar Wastyn in 1959. I checked it, glued a new tire, I ride it. Needed nothing. There were certainly other good builders. They somehow established uniform tension before meters existed. Quite a trick. OEM or shop built, most vintage wheels were bad. My memory is not failing on that one. I still come across vintage wheels and racks of vintage wheels and most are pretty useless. When the wheels come with provenance it is disappointing to find all the known names who just did not build well.

The most used spoke when I began was Berg-Union .080"/.060". Same thing as 2.0mm/1.5mm. We got them from Schwinn. All sizes in stock, always, and they were cheap. Schwinn used those spokes on millions of bikes. Only small wheel juvenile bikes and heavyweight trucks got straight gauge. Now 2.0/1.5 is considered exotic. Millions of Schwinns say it should be normal.

I am an old man and likely a confused old man. Saying "confused" and "Physics!" is what you attempt when you got nothin.