"The hewn surface is definitely alot more challenging to work with, and it will separate the men from the boys."

With all due respect, I think that finding the purlin clip angle for a 8/12 pitch meeting a 12/12 pitch at a hip with 105 degree plates in plan separates.......

by the way I like hewn timbers, very rustic. How long does it take to hew an 8x8x10 timber (if you are efficient and precise) assuming that the diameter of the log is just big enough to accommodate the 8x8?