Corrected spoke lines... you mean bending the line down past the flange... ? I didin't grip that issue well when I read it in the book.. or online. Or.. making sure the line heads directly to the rim hole.. ie, not really a pre-stressing of the elbow bend?

200K on a set of spokes... I hadn't heard that. Makes me wonder about the rim.. and hub too... that's 4K a yr for 50 yrs......... must have been a good lot # of steel.

My point.. per the spoke elongation.. was the lighter gauge spokes get slack too.. under heavy rim deflection. Accepted they act as a shock absorber for the elbow.. but I'm still stuck on the jolt they receive when retensioned.. as the wheel turns. And the butted can still work loose... after that slack period like any other spoke... not set in place with some glue etc.

Definitely wire quality and the quality of the extrusion dies & drawing technique affect spoke quality. But like everything today.. what is real value... and what is just more advertizing wind.

Don't let them get loose.. improve the angle.. check.