Very cool shell...

How old is it..?

Wow, that's pretty. What a great use of preserved, prehistoric timber. I'd leave that butcher block shell unfinished or maybe a satin finish if anything at all. Then brass or gold-tone hoops and hardware. Keep us posted on what you're going to do with it.

Mike

+1 what Mike said

Beautiful shell. Will make a very nice snare! I agree with Mike keep the shell so the wood shows it's natural beauty.

Years ago my son built a custom guitar for a customer using that same wood. Same COA was included. Very challenging build with unique custom touches throughout. A one off build. Played and sounded great. Well every time the new owner picked it up and played it buzzed. Like a electronic glitch.... but it only buzzed when he played it no one else. Strange. My son went through the electronics twice! Still buzzed when the customer played it. The guy then had someone else hack in some new pickups and electronics. Same thing it buzzed only when he played it! He tried everything even grounding himself in the studio. The guy then by accident ran over the guitar after a gig. Backed over it with his car. He brought it back to my son in 2 pcs with new in hacked electronics and asked him if the warranty was still good on it??? My son said that wood has some bad juju attached to it and your not the one it wants. Sadly it was a total loss. My son did offer to repair the guitar structurally for free. But new electronics would be out of pocket since they were changed out by someone else and voided the warranty. It would never be quite the same though. The guy left with the guitar and said ok he'd be in touch. To this day never heard from again. Sorry for the long non drum related ramble. Thought it was a unique story to add here.

Its 30,000 to 50,000 years old wood .

Cool story even with the bad juju attached to it .We had a Psychic Medium to come here for strange activities in a home we bought .That another story !!

I need to find another Pearl Free Floater for it .The ones I have are piccolo .Would like to have it tung oil .

Some of the Kauri wood snare built by Stanbridge and Dunnett .Funny Ron Dunnett did not like working with this wood and the sound of it .I want to have it built to rent it out around my city .It a one time opportunity to play one of the oldest wood in the world .

Incredible.....!!!