Reading resin
Sinking, semi-sinking, floating: the trade’s measure of resin density, based on whether a piece sinks in water. Sinking is densest. Semi-sinking, often given as a percentage such as 60–70%, is the grade most collectors burn. Floating pieces hold the least resin.
Sinking, semi-sinking, floating. The measure is whether a piece sinks in water, and it is the closest thing this trade has to a shared language — older than any certificate and harder to argue with.
Resin is what burns. Wood is what holds it. So a semi-sinking chip at sixty to seventy percent will smoke longer, and sweeter, than a floating piece twice its weight — and will cost more than it, which is the part that surprises people.
Every piece in the house is listed with its grade. Where a percentage is known, it is printed.
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