I am building some small boxes for my boys to keep their trading cards
in. I decided I wanted to try box joints for these. I built the jig
from one of the earlier Woodsmith mags and it works great.

I cut all the peices out of oak for both boxes and ran them thru the
jig, checking to be sure they were fitting correctly.

I got one completed, but as I was putting the second one together, I
was concerned about the tight fit, as well as the open grain in the
oak. Sure enough, it split, in several places. My fit was just too
tight. I can correct that, minor adjustment on the jig.

My thought now is I think I would rather use a different wood than oak.
What would you use? The fingers are 1/4 on the joints, the boxes
measure approx 8x5 inches.

So, your choice of wood is?????