Ah, you got me!!
Sure, that makes sense. But still, I would be tempted to either put a different shape on the knob to give it a distinctive feel. Or do like I've seen Tom Martin do. He kept the lever flat (i.e. didn't jog the top to mount the ball) and just slab sided it with a couple of very thin pieces of polished rosewood and then riveted through all three.
I like your panel and the way you have mounted the important stuff as close to the top as you can. Since I've started back flying I can't believe how busy the low level airspace is. I want my head up and my eyes looking out side. A quick glance down is all you can afford. Yours works for me. Enjoy your ride.
Ralph
C-FGWW