"Larzuk will always add the maximum number of sockets possible to a
low quality/normal/superior (white color name, or gray if it's
ethereal) item."

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=d2-general&t=1353173&p=1&#post1353173

I'm thinking of doing the exact same thing, except I don't like the
210 strength requirement: My merc has a Pain Circlet With 2 Perfect
Amethysts (+40 Strength) but he still won't be able to lift it until
his late 70's. Thing is the Colossus Voulge is the only elite polearm
that can get 4 sockets from Larzuk. What a bummer!

Where people find all of these 4 socket eth cryptic axes I just do not
know.

To me, the biggest issue with using a non-eth CV is the extra 10
points of strength your merc will need to wield it (rather than the
2/3 damage it will do relative to the eth). I usually end up having to
give my merc some str boosting gear to use the eth version - the
additional 10 pts can really limit his hat and coat options!

Any Larzuk will give you the max holes for a normal or eth item. But
the number of holes may depend on where it was dropped. I think that
CV's can only drop where you get the max number of sockets for any
item (i.e. > iLvl 40). And max sockets for CV's is four, so Larzuk
won't ever give more (or less) than that. (Hence the popularity of
CV's for Insight, even though I would prefer the lower str req and
higher average damage of an ethereal Cryptic Axe. But a Cryptic Axe
will get 5 holes from Larzuk, so you gotta actually find one, or take
your chances with the cube recipe for adding sockets [and 5 out of 6
times, you'll get 5 sockets]).

I believe that the cube repair will set the iLvl to 1 for any item,
but I'm not exactly clear on how that applies to things like diadem's,
where their minimum drop level is well above 1 (and thus their minimum
level when using the six p-skulls rare re-roll recipe never goes below
the min level for +2 skills). I may be comparing two different things
there :-/

Bruce

As others noted: the Str required could be a bit of a problem. Even with
Duriel's Shell (+15 Str) and Guillaume's Face (+15 Str) my Necromancer's
~lvl84 merc doesn't have the Str to wield it, so he's still using some
funny rare Coronet with +20-something Str.

If it's a CV, I use Larzuk. However, I probably wouldn't waste a socket
quest on a non-ethereal CV.

You should know the difficulty of a socket quest has no influence at all?

You didn't mention it was broken/cracked, but repairing it would reset it
to ilvl1. An ilvl1 CV gets 3 sockets from Larzuk, so that wouldn't really
help would it? :)

Larzuk will never mess up with regard to the max holes in a non-magical
item. His only 'chance-oriented' variation is when socketing a magic item:
50/50 it'll get 1/2 sockets. All other results are guaranteed.

I suggest you read:

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=d2-general&t=1353173&p=1&#post1353173

Regards, Patrick.