To cut or not to cut

[Toiv0]

Here is two pieces of wood. Are they good specimens or should they be sliced up. One is about 2 inches round and 4 inches long. The other is about 3.5 by 4 and 5 inches long.

[Fossilman]

Cut!

[Peruano]

In a way, your photos are too close up to judge them as specimens. Can you set them on a shelf and stand back and say "wow, are those pretty"? Or can you pick them up and heft them and feel them and get excited about how they speak to you as a fossil piece of wood. There is no doubt that they will make pretty slabs and could be taken further to make pretty cabs, and maybe you can have both or all three phases. I, presumably like you, sometimes have hesitations in cutting on a piece of wood that comes off the ground as a natural work of art. Often times it is the cutting of a flat base that satisfies my need to see inside and perhaps to even slab it further, but just as often the inside does not justify cutting further, and I proclaim it a specimen as I originally judged it.
All of this is a long way of saying its your rock and you can do anything you want and we will not really be in a position to criticize your decision. Color, shape, texture, density, and gestalt - they are all important in this game.

[wigglinrocks]

If I were up and cutting , I would take a slab or two off and save the rest . Best of both worlds .

[toiv0]

thanks guys, I will cut a slice ot two off of them. I don't really do specimens anymore. Anything super nice I get I try to pass it on to someone else to enjoy for a while.