Originally Posted by
martl
One sometimes hears the opinion that spokes are a consumable and should be replaced just to be safe. This is not automatically true.
spokes that are chrome plated, though, are of a low quality and while they sometimes can be buffed I would always replace them with stainless ones.
Asahi of Japan made chrome plated spokes of good quality but rarely exported save for the lengths used in BMX bikes. They were found on top tier road bikes from the Japanese mfgs for a time till stainless steel was the siren call.
Union Berg made chrome plated double butted spokes of widely appreciated quality.
compared to stainless steel they became more expensive and are more vulnerable to neglect.
there may have been cheap chrome plated spokes elsewhere but I did not encounter them on bikes that came in for repair at the bike shops I worked for.