Jimi also de tuned to Ebwhich would have helped his massive bends

I read years ago that he knew he could get a leftie quite easily, but had gotten used to his upside down guitarsand stuck with them.

Totally agree. My theory is his right hand technique. It is the same as the Gypsy/Django Rheinhardt technique. Even when playing lead, you still play exactly the same as when strumming. With a relaxed bent wrist shaking out a match type action.
This means that the tone, volume (and on the strat, the pickup switch) really gets in the way and they keep getting knocked about and the pickup switch changed.

With amplification, a ‘modern’ right hand technique has emerged, with flat wrist and the hand usually resting on the bridge. The old one gives more volume and energy to the strings, unecessary whith amplification.

Albert King very seldom, and I mean VERY SELDOM,played chords & RYTHM if he played them at all. His playing was mostly Licks & bends which is the reason he & the Great BB King mostly traveled with a Rythm section. BB himself admitted this .Jimi was Incredible in that he could play lead & Rythm Guitar at the same time while singing lead vocals. Un heard of @ the time.

At the time Hendrix was learning to play a guitar they where probably very rare if not at all. By the time guitar builders started making a few lefty ones. Hendrix was already comfortable with what he was using. In the 80’s, it was hard for me to get a half quality guitar at a reasonable price. I definitely didn’t have the options there are today! I’m 52 now and started to get back into learning to play guitar. Finally got my first left handed guitar from a pawn shop.