Yup,it should be fine unbacked if the grain is good ,and id personally leave it unbacked. If you wanted and needed more peace of mind then you could put silk,burlap,etc....on the back.
As far as the handle goes it will depend on how thick and long your board is. If its 3/4" thick then you can glue on three 1/4" pieces all at separate stages and keep your bend away from coming into the fades. If its an inch or thicker then you can glue on one piece of wood and also keep your bend and stress from coming into the fades. BUT,id personally not glue anything and make it a slight bend thru the handle, and then fill the handle area with shoe insole or leather then wrap that up with a leather wrap.