[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

Welcome to my computer everyone. I've been lurking for some time and now we have wireless BB I can annoy the outside world.
My question is this: Are there any premium dob makers whose scopes are NOT made from twigs and mucus?
Having owned a wooden boat, I have no intention of maintaining the 'decking' of a big telescope.
Surely it's easier, cheaper and ultimately better to use metal or CF for the tube assemblies? Why wood? I can see that some might appreciate the aesthetic value, but is there actually an engineering reason for using it?
Ta!