The up side of stainless steel wire is that it doesn’t
corrode.The down side is that it doesn’t corrode! If
you fly in the salty air of the coast, then having wires
that are resistant to corrosion is a real plus.
However, because they don’t corrode stainless wires
may not display any visual clues to their condition,
and will look like new the day that they fail.
http://www.bhpa.co.uk/members/safety/matters/sm0202.pdf
I thought a visual inspection of SS wires was a very good way to check the safety of a glider.
I figured that if the wire looked perfect, had never been kinked, had no strands damaged,
and was smooth and shiny, it was likely good as new.
Turns out I was not too bright on the subject. The article above wised me up.