I have bought several Snakewood logs over the years, and they generally arrive completely sealed up. If they were not sealed, they would likely be riddled with drying checks, judging by some of the larger pieces I have lying around years after re-sawing. My point is that the level of expertise in the sawing and subsequent handling and storage of Snakewood can make or break the quality of the fingerboard you are considering, more so than with most of the materials we use. I do encourage research and a bit of caution re what may appear to be a better deal than that offered by an outfit like Gilmer, who are known to be both competent and fairly priced. IMO, of course.
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