cutting oil filter open

Look for excess metal bits, especially flakes (like from a bearing or its matching surface). There will be bits of crud and maybe some bits of gasket sealer in there and small metal bits on the 1st filter; no engine assembly is perfectly clean. If there is not too much, then the 2nd filter change is likely a better read as most of the crud from assembly should be out in the 1st filter.

IIRC, most or all of the 'stuff' to look for should be on the outer surface of the filter media as that is on the inlet side. If there is really fine wear, I doubt that it will be readily visible. I would not know how to look for ring material from break-in, for example.

Normally a large tubing-cutter-like device is used, but I just use a stiff, large bladed work knife (I call it a pig-sticker), and pierce near the top and cut around.