Thank you all. It will be a while before I have the tools necessary to actually do any carving, but I was wanting some insight and input before it got to that point.
Regarding the briar itself, I am sure the cracked grain goes deeper in the briar..just a gut feeling. I am unsure if the crack was there from the beginning. I think it was, but its been a while. They have been in a drawer all that time, with no real extensive fluctuation of temperature.
I am wanting to make a freehand plateau version of a bavarian type, so cutting the briar apart at the split should not have much of an effect. Once split, I can let the briar tell me what it wants.