Originally Posted by Svr

Nothing wrong with alumunum nipples. I've built with them for years, and gotten great service life out of them. My oldest set of wheels with alloy nipples are just over 10 years old, with no nipple related problems -- they're MTB wheels, so they've seen their fair share of water and dirt.

Most of the so called issues are easily solved.

Rounding of the squared portion is caused by poor quality tools. Use a high quality four sided spoke wrench and never worry about it again.

Corrosion can be prevented by using anti-sieze, and adding one mm to the calculated spoke length will reinforce the flange of the nipple by threading the spoke all the way through.

Aluminum nipples have been in use for many years and will continue to be used successfully by many wheelbuilders around the world, so don't blame the product for the mechanic's shortcomings.