15/17 gauge spokes

Does anyone know where I can get 15/17 gauge spokes?
I have a couple of period wheels to build up and think they look a lot better with the skinny 1950's looking spokes.
Untill last year my local bike shop used to keep these(and Large Flange hubs and Conloy rims)
But since the owner has retired my source of really cheap vintage parts,not to mention free tool hire,tea and biscuits has dried up

just a quick word of caution. If you are using hubs drilled for 14G, then the 15G's will allow for lots movement at the holes and therefore premature failure. not too bad if its a light use/light rider bike, but not too good for heavy/everyday use. Its not the thin-ness in general thats the concern, its the movement at the spoke bend.

spokes

dont use 15/17 too thin and most hubs are 2.4mm 14g.

Thanks for the tips guys,but I have built about many pairs with 15/17 spokes,(These are Harden,Airlight BSA and the like all made for skinny spokes)I am not light(clue in the username ) and do about 5 thousand miles a year on my Carpenter fixed-Blumfield on Conloy sprints.
I sometimes put a washer behind the spoke hole(always with Sturmey hubs)
I think DT do some "ultrlight" spokes which are 15/17 guage,My Dad's local bike shop(Paul Hewit in Leyland) Is trying to get me some,I'll post up how it goes-just need a source of nice wide tubs now

tubs

for fat hard wearing tubs try and get the old style Vittoria Diamond tread Grey ones, they are maked 32 but if you measure them they are 28mm
they are evo XN model I think
Tufo do the same in 28mm and
www.byckasport.co.uk have a sale on them as they are old models now.

Hi

I'm in a similar position to the original poster in this thread.

I'm building up a late 1950's bike and I've got virtualy all the parts now, including a pair of NOS 27" rims & BHC Airlite hubs. Just need the spokes!

I've seen on the Classic Lightweights site reference to 15/17 gauge spokes as being "correct". Now (being a noob to older bikes) I'm not entirley sure if that's a butted spoke or if it means using 15gauge(1.8mm) on the front and 17gauge(1.4mm) on the rear?

Either way I'm not finding anything? Can any one point me in the right direction, pretty please!

Kind regards
Mark.

15/17 means butted spokes, thinner in the centre. 15 gauge nipples are like the proverbial rocking horse dung these days and the spokes are probably the same. I'd like some as well but I reckon I'll have to settle for 14 or 14/16 if they're still available.

Thank you for the reply, much appreciated.

Looks like I'll have to use the thicker spoke then, finding the rims took long enough and I want to get them rolling!

I do have a box of spares bits from a "senior, non active" VCC member, with an old box of Phillips rustless spokes & nipples in 15gauge (11 7/8"). Although theres only 20!

In the 1960's my spoke orders were in excess of 100 gross about every 3 months, the vast majority being 15/17 and about half SS.
Rarely any breakage even in unsuitable hubs.
The large cycle makers used hubs with flanges too thin and spoke holes too large to make the build faster, a factory time to lace a 40 hole wheel was 2.5 minutes. I could manage 3 mins.
If the spokes are a good quality they will probably work in the poorly made hubs. The reason for the breakage is that when tensioned the bend of the spoke straightens out, causing fracture in poor quality spokes.
The first time we had Campagnolo GS in the early 50's the spoke holes were very tight and alternately countersunk. The countersink was to support the bend of the spoke.
Bear in mind when measuring the spoke holes that spoke threads are rolled, so need a clearance hole.
Phillips spokes were not particularly good, and were stupidly sold in boxes of a hundred,. a gross is 144, enough for 2 pairs of standard wheels.

Bit more info incase it's of help to any one else?

As hinted at by the original poster, there is a lightweight DT spoke. It's the DT Revolution 14/17g.

Not quite a 15/17g, but close enough for me and nicely lightweight! My wheelbuilder has measured my rims & hubs and ordered some!