Nickel...why not?

Are there any hardware mfgrs making nickel plated lugs these days..and if not...why"

We offer nickel finish on our Origin range. It suits the vibe of the kit very well IMHO. The only reason to not choose nickel is it's hardness/wear properties. Even though nickel forms the foundation layer in triple chromium plating, compared to chrome, it's nowhere near as hard wearing.

In the photo below, all the kit lugs are nickel plated, & by way of comparison, you can see some chrome lugs on the snare in the same shot. Nickel has a classy warmth to it's presentation that I like very much - almost luxurious

Nickel is beautiful, but it tarnishes and requires regular polishing to stay bright.

Bermuda

I agree, nickel has a great soft, vintage classic look. You just really have to take care of it