Also, everybody's ability to aquire chemicals vary quite a lot (for example, I am unable to aquire ephedrine/pseudoephedrine where I live, but on the other hand I can have 1kg of red Phosphorus and 1 kg of Iodine delivered to my door tomorrow.
Post 253066 (https://www.thevespiary.org/talk/index.php?topic=6536.msg25306600#msg25306600)
Hey, Rhodium, I'll trade you w/w if you'll handle the shipping/handling/smuggling...
homeslice, SWIY has chosen one method that is fairly common, but you should also be aware that SWIY could also go the peracid (using performic(perferred) or peracetic) route to acquire MDP2P, though it involes an additional step of isomerizing safrole to isosafrole (see:
Basically, SWIY will still use the Al/Hg amalgam to get the desired product, but there are several different ways of getting the ketone to plug into that step. Also, pure nitromethane can be found w/o the need for distillation, though this is still a good step to ensure reagent purity.
PB