I like the white oak fine. Howard (hrhodes) was braggin on some white oak staves he had heat treated with some success so, since my lumber mill was out of any good hard maple, I checked the white oak stack and found a good flat-sawn board that looked almost like a center piece with really straight grain on either side of the pith. It was really heavy and seemed quite dense. Even with the straight grain, I added rawhide protection since I was going to skin it. I also slightly heat treated the belly. I was kinda sloppy when staining the wood at the levers which is why the wraps are so wide. I should have used tape.
