Hickory will straighten out very good with dry heat[heat gun] just oil it down with cooking oil
and heat it till you can touch it ,but can't hold you finger on it ,and clamp it to something that will take it just a little passed where you want it to be and it will stay very well.We do that all the time.
It won't hurt much as long as it don't throw the string off,but I don't like it anyway so I try and get
at lest the worst out.
Good luck.
Pappy