Nice knife!.........Cob, Pine cone as well as Cholla cactus and many others are pressure cast to fill all the voids as well as being stabilized first.....stabilizing alone can not fill the large voids that are present in these materials. The equipment and resins are now available and have been for some time for anyone at home to stabilize just as well as any professional big name company, they are just people like you and me, it is not magic and as long as you use the same products and process you can have the same results......but definitely stay away from using minwax wood hardener and all those other similar products!