freehandling hots?

[davo]

I have only very recently joined this forum but have had a strong interest in reptiles in general and venomous snakes in particular for nearly 30 years. The general opinion of most forum members regarding free handling of hots seems to be DON'T they are not pets and you are an idiot if you do it.
I can only comment on those I have had experience with, mainly autralian elapids.I have raised several Australian tiger snakes (notechis scutatus) form birth to well into adulthood. I made a point of free handling these at least every couple of days including just prior to and just after feeding. I can honestly say these snakes never made any attempt to strike at me and never became aggressive or aggitated and seemed to be able to distinquish between what was food and what was me.
I sometimes need to relocate adult snakes from the house yard and do NOT freehandle these but have done so with wild caught sub-adult common copperheads (another elapid australaps superbus)without any problem.These have been hooked first to gauge their mood.
I do not advocate freehandling in general and concede it may not be a good idea in most cases but I do not believe it is necessarily a stupid or foolhardy thing to do.
If you had a hot from birth and regularly handled it albeit with a hook and it was always calm, never showed any aggression nor attempted to strike at you, at what point would you trust it?