Funny how people can be totally blind to their own bad work. That same thing happens with my uncle's cooking every holiday...

But what if hickory's sharp bite actually helps the bark stand out more, @blake_anderson? That kick can cut through the fat better than oak's steady smoke. Sometimes oak just doesn't bring enough flavor to really shine.

Is it really that much better, or do we just like the stories? Like @shane357's tractor mark table is cool, but sometimes old wood is just old wood (and a lot more work).