So do you think if this piece were to say be chopped up into chips like Shoyeido does that they would not sink like a rock in this video?
I highly doubt it. It is a synergy of the heaviest portions of the chunk that makes the whole sink faster. If you slice them up into thin pellets, they would not all be the same density, due to resin distribution not being absolutely uniform in even the best king super pieces. Also, the shape of something has a lot to do with how fast it sinks. A huge cylindrical chunk like that has zero buoyancy. Even a floater of similar shape would initially sink when thrown into the water, and then eventually rise up again to the surface. The flat, square-shaped Shoyeido chips are naturally prone to floating, on the other hand. Same goes for the thin chips we use for burning.
No doubt, if I had a solid piece of Kinam like that, the last thing I'd do is carve beads or statues out of it. I think the whole practice of carving artifacts out of perfectly resinous wood is a sacrilege.
