Manufacturers use hickory wood for the handles of tools, especially axes, hammers, and picks. In addition, the wood is used for baseball bats and furniture. At one time, wagon makers fashioned wheels out of hickory wood. The pignut hickory is one of the most common hickory trees in central and eastern North America. Its tough, hard wood is used to make handles for hammers, axes, picks and other tools.
Hickory wood is very heavy and dense.
As a result, it burns slowly and produces much heat. It is often used for smoking and curing meats. Bacon and ham have a fine flavor when cured in hickory smoke. It is native to the Mississippi River Valley, but it is widely planted elsewhere. The bitternut hickory is the most widespread hickory in eastern North America.