So... I was nervous. Very nervous. Those of you who know how rare it is to find a piece of snakewood of the size and condition to turn a pot know why I was so nervous. These trees grow too darn small! The snakeskin pattern in any real size is perhaps the most expensive of exotic lumber in boardfoot once you cut the waste from pith checking and less-figured sections... So anyway back to my story... I got my hands on this piece and realized it had only two minor checks. I stabilized them with CA glue to seal the gap and prevent damage. It didn't affect the sound quality so I'm thrilled!! I paired it with a dense Mexican cocobolo striker for optimal sound.