I am getting into the Classic/Vintage bike world and looking for a good commute bike. I saw a Nishiki 1207 that was fixed gear recently. Not being familiar with all the brands, I thought I would check if anyone has advice. It was an 80's model.

Nishikis were around in the 70's - 80's at least. You used to find them in Schwinn shops. In 1980, Nishiki really improved the look of the bikes by including things like top tube cable braze-ons. For hardware, they typically used SunTour components. The frames were steel and lugged the last I saw. I still have a 1979 Nishiki that rides like new but looks like hell. Currently I have swiped some parts off it (wheels) for my 'newer' bike, a 1982 Trek 720.