good advice all! I don't usually use STABILIZED burls, but most of mine are the rosewoods, amboyna and ironwood. you WILL find voids, take your time and don't try to plow through them. fill with CA whenever you hit an open pocket, let it harden, and start again. As Frank said, consider your "lost" burls part of the cost of the other burl pens you sell...that $10 blank is probably more like a $13-15 blank when you factor in the blow outs.