I've been hunting for long nipples for 15/17 gauge Torrington spokes, for building up the wood rims for my old Paramount.
Ted Ernst mentioned that he had some black nipples, and that they were called Victory nipples, used in WW II. Sure enough, when Larry Black loaned me a staggeringly heavy box of nipples to sort in The Search, it turned out that a couple hundred were black. And magnetic. Adding 2 + 2, it seems that brass was not allowed for spoke nipple manufacture during the war, so they made them of steel, instead. Grease well, lads and lassies!
Now, if I had thought to pull the magnet through the stash BEFORE sorting....I might have saved some time. Ah, the facts I am learning!
harvey sachs
mcLean VA.