lead wedge materials

[sloanwinters]

hi all -

sorry for the dumb question but are there different qualities of lead? ive been using large, round lead shot for a couple of wedge attempts but the metal is super soft and wont keep a shine past what seems like a couple minutes. yet other lead wedges i have in other razors are a little more firm and keep a shine just fine after a little polish (at least for a while). ive also tried some lead fishing weights without success because when hammered the lead 'folds' together but does not truly merge into a seamless piece. so i guess my question is... what is a good, high quality (?) lead to use for wedges? i like colored acrylic wedges to add a little color. and also nickel or brass liners sometimes. but if im making a set of horn scales for a nice old sheffield id like to stay old-school and use lead too.

any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
thank you.
-s.