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I usually use Sapim polyax brass in black and you do have to be careful with them but just got a set from my usual place and before I even bothered to open the packet I can see loads of black missing and all over the inside of the plastic bag.
I am wondering if aluminium would be a bit tougher but obvious concerns over aluminium nipples. Am building onto aluminium rims this time not carbon so in a way a little bit less worried but still have corrosion concerns. Black polyax aluminium are more than double the price of silver though which is irritating.
I always use silver brass for this reason. DTs do the same. Black comes off as soon as you look at it. Black alu seem to last fine - no issues there, but as you say sometimes cost a bucket load more for no good reason, so I use silver there too.... Alu is fine for alu rims IMHO as long as you dont mind the fact that you're as likely to need to cut a spoke out and replace it if you need to true a wheel as you are to be able to work with the existing nipples unless you use double heads. So it depends I guess on the likelihood you think you're going to want to tweak these down the line. If you want to go black alu these are worth the investment:
https://www.bike24.com/p2200473.html
If combined with a tool for building from the back (like a red-handled DT one). Saves any damage to the nipple on the outside. EDIT: I should also point out that building from the back is waaaay easier and faster too.
Besides, black is no longer cool. Its all about the silver spokes and nipples nowadays #retroisnolongerretro
I tend to use DT brass nipples, personally.
I sometimes use black, but I've decided that it's a bit much and that a silver nipple breaks it up nicely without being shouty. Plus, obviously they don't show damage as badly. I've managed to scuff a black DT nipple with a badly placed spokey while building before now but not often at all. I've never seen the blacking come off a DT nipple in the bag.
It may be voodoo, but aluminium nipples concern me...
I wouldn't touch alloy nipples unless I was building a super light set of race wheels. The just break and/or seize. Just go with standard silver brass nipples. It looks fine. 🙂
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Heres some I'm building right now as it happens, Squorx Alu this time just because they come with the rims and are generally trouble free.
What PP said, avoid aluminium nipples
@Ben: I had those double head nipples on a set of carbon wheels from a UK budget brand I just sent back as they had a lot of rim defects. Ended up going with Arch Mk3's. My D-lights are arriving from Bike24 on monday and I did look at the double heads but by the time my rim is taped tubeless they are no use for truing and i prefer my Roger Musson style nipple driver for quickly getting the wheel built reasonably true.
I tend to agree about silver being nice to break up all the black and being a little bit retro. Wish I had built up my solaris with silver nipples or even silver spokes to break up the black and look a bit more in keeping with a slim steel tubes.
The Aeris has all black wheels, in fact everything is black as no other colour goes with the black and pink frame 😀
Think I will just dig out the tub of silver brass nipples I have left over from previous builds. I just hope they are 12mm unless I have some polyax somewhere which don't matter as the thread length is the same on 14mm ones.