Bob and Judy
If you want sharpness and a long tonal scale and subtlety of gradation
there is not much to beat platinum except carbon and, in terms of long
tonal range, gum. I have gum prints made from negatives that were too
dense for platinum but print well in gum or carbon. Each gum coat can
extend the contrast range by two stops.
Of course one will not wish to use this potential for every print one
makes.
Terry