I paid $3.50 each for 5 of them; made three pens, two of them cracked before I sold them. One of them sold and cracked several weeks later, the customer sent it back and I used half of the fourth blank to replace the wood on the cap. Yesterday he called to tell me the cap cracked again, I still have the other half of the 4th blank to fix it with. I'll save the 5th blank so I can fix the same pen two more times, then I will buy some more because it will crack again and again and again.....
My experience with Gaboon ebony is a little worse than pink ivory, but I haven't had any problems with the snakewood I've used.