Read over the weekend that Stevie Ray Vaughan chose to play with 14 top E and a high action (usually tuned a semitone down) and had his frets made from bass fret wire as otherwise he would wear the frets out too quickly. Stronger fingers than me definitely.

Jimmy Page on the other hand sometimes used a banjo string as a top E because a 9 was not light enough.

Personal preference.

What is "curling your hands"? Curling the neck I understand (heavy gauge metal strings on a spanish should work nicely...)