Chris wrote:
What specific signs of wear am I looking for in the swages of the
standing rigging? I check for any mechanical damage I can see,
especially cracks. Are there other things to look for?
There usually is slight surface rust on the stainless, which I scrub
off w/ WD40 to check for cracks.

Cracks are about all you can see. If you want a real inspection you need
to use a dye process which shows small cracks better.