Dried hickory is next to impossible to split, compared to a freshly cut log, and kiln drying "cooks" the pores and weakens the wood. Find a lumber mill and try to get a green log before its cut and dried. Any local lumber supplier can tell you the nearest mill that provides hickory.
The nice part about splitting out a stick from a green log is that it will air dry in a few days to weeks, and then you can shape it to your heart's content. That is about when all those sore muscles in your wrists, hands, arms, and back will finally heal enough to proceed with the work. Find a warm, sunny place to put the green splits, and turn them over and around every day or so. If you have an old car that sits, put the wood inside the car, with the sun coming through the back window, and one window cracked just enough to allow air flow to keep the interior from getting too hot.
Now is the time of year to cut down hickory trees to make tool handles, and ramrods. The Sap is all down, so that the logs will dry quickly and still be the strongest and most flexible they can be.
