Early splat does not affect wood strength. Advanced does. If you use the thumb nail test you can see the difference easily. In Maples when you see dark lines, blacks and blues lines, it is still very hard but when you get into diffuse colors, the lighter colors like orange, tans or greys the wood becomes very soft.
You can still use it for stocks if you impregnate those areas with resins under high pressure and high temperatures. But cutting one of those stocks is a copper plated [censored]. A smart fellow will not take on the job. A dumb one will only do one if he ever gets that one done. Its a lot like carving endgrain ebony. Possible but extremely difficult to do well.
I have a couple tiger spalted Myrtle blanks which are very nice. Never found the right project to use them in. Someone will be happy with them when my wife has that yard sale after Im gone.
