Lowell Holmes wrote...
I have been told that it is difficult to plane with hand tools because of
interlaced grain patterns. Is it more difficult than other woods such as
Mesquite?.

Yes, in my opinion, but Sapele can be tamed. I have had to resort to
scraping on some particularly difficult pieces, but a well-tuned smoother
has usually been sufficient. Chip-out can be a problem when power-
planing.

Jim