Tearout question

[AHill]

If that's bubinga as Arlin suggests, I would add some serious prayer to whatever else you're attempting. Bubinga is notoriously difficult to carve because of it's reversing, interlocking grain. It's one reason you don't see a lot of bubinga carvings. There's also a high silica content in bubinga, which is very rough on tools. Strop often - like every 3-4 cuts.