Mark gets into a twist about handles… 

6 hours!  phew - quite some handle - rule of thumb is an hour an inch.  Its
mostly heat rather than damp that makes the timber pliable.

Side axes get bent handles to keep your knuckles clear of the timber - and a
straight faced grind to let you chop downwards.  I think of ‘hewing’ as being
something more joiner like, using a conventional small axe,  ground both sides,
so you work accordingly.   The straight handle is maybe easier to use, as it
lines up neatly with the spot you want to hit.

As for the bending -  its reliant on the thickness you are bending, and the
grain / pliability of the timber.  I’d start with a curved item of timber if I
could - not having steam facilities (yet)

And of course, my opinion is worth the entrance fee, and you have your answer in
your question - “ I’ll have a play and finish off my experiment  “ - th e only
man who knows what you like is you, so have at it..


Enjoy!


Richard Wilson
Yorkshireman Galoot
in a sunny Newcastle - on -Tyne