Good looking gun. The wood is fantastic. Speaking for myself, I'm not a big fan of the extreme marblecake a lot of other folks go for. I go in for some nice fiddleback figure or similar, or just a nice rich color. De gustibus .... But this honey and smoke is exceptionally nice and something I have to look into.
As to filling pores, using ground horse hooves is a new one to me. I suppose the hooves, being keratin and therefore likely having a flaky (mica-like) structure even when ground fine, would enhance the natural color and highlights in the wood. A friend who does high-end cabinetry and restoration uses very finely powdered pumice to fill pores when French polishing - comes in handy with more porous woods like mahogany.
Interesting.
