<<< it remains that if the gunge were not there one would get better
results with Pt/Pd printing. >>>
This is flat wrong, at least for some films. As Kerik mentioned, it's
obvious that you haven't tried it.
<<<So why bother with pyro for a pupose for which it is not suited when
there are superior alternatives ?>>>
Odd, pyro has been considered ideally suited for Pt/Pd since last
century. There's a lot of question whether it is really useful today for
silver printing, or useful with the latest high-tech emulsions at all.
But with a film that offers a good staining response, the utility of
that stain for Pt/Pd is perfectly real.
<<<But if you want really good results you put up with the long
exposures.>>>
There's no single route to really good results. Too many variables. I
see stunning results for Pt/Pd from Tri-X in HC110B for a wide range of
effects from many picture situations, but have recently found that
HP5+/pyro provides different strengths and weaknesses that make it a
valuable alternate. In any case, pictorial qualities don't exist in a
vacuum but in a matrix with handling characteristics like film speed in
the field, or willingness to deal with a few extra steps in processing.
_Any_ single set of tools will be limiting.
<<<I once returned
to find a party of German tourists peering through the lens !>>>
I'm afraid that even in the deepest woods of New England, a camera left
unattended would disappear, even though its liberators wouldn't have the
faintest idea where to fence a Deardorff.
---Carl