The sweep of the handle of a single bevel is essential though, (speaking here of short handle for the style of squaring up done standing alongside with the timber fairly high up), not to keep the hand next to the wood from getting skinned- like you said it, anyone will quickly learn how to adjust the grip to solve that problem and regardless, I take it for granted I might be leaving a bit of blood behind on the stem – but like I was trying to point out, to position your shoulders at a right angle to the axis of the timber and that’s why the far hand should be back at the end of the handle, not the near hand, (see drawing above). At the same time, when that sweep gets excessive then the whole thing is out of balance and you’re better off with no sweep. Here is an example of excessive sweep. I’ve since cut it down but even still the handle is not good.

Like the poll of an axe, the sweep of a handle often leads some to untimely and not thought through conclusions when we go to drawing those in a state of ignorance, and let’s face it, since the time between when axes were essential and the time when they have become novelty a lot of knowledge about them has simply become faded memory and the only way to get it back is by keeping an open mind and getting a sense of the subtleties of the massive amount knowledge contained in all kinds axes and do away with the simplistic notions. These do a real disservice to the ones who have contributed to such fine axes we have available to get our grubby hands on and put back to use.