My thoughts:
-The Surlys have bar end shifters. What is the advantage? Seems to me like a very inconvenient location for shifters
-I like the looks of the jamis aurora although i don't like the sounds of slightly lower end components (but it might not really matter). i might consider the jamis aurora elite. i'm curious how much of a difference the carbon fork would dampen the usual shocks of uneven roads.
-Trek 520 looks alright but i'm not interested in the rack or fenders. bar end shifters don't make sense to me. Its interesting that it has v-brakes. why do the others have cantilever instead?
-the bianche looks nice although i'd probably swap out the suspension seat post

overall, i think the idea of a steel frame is very good one. the bar end shifters look like a bad idea to me. i'm confused why so many touring bikes go with cantilever over v-brakes. at this point i'd lean toward the jamis

anyway, i really appreciate the discussion. these are definitely things to consider before i buy.