BTW, why do the HBers always try to bring the Masonic Lodge into this? Is it the masonic penchant for secrecy

Yes. The mystery behind Freemasonry provides an ambiguity which hoax believers can fill with whatever fiction sells their books. Anyone wishing to deny the alleged connection must divulge the entirety of the Masonic gnosis to prove it isn't there, and obviously Masons aren't willing to do that. So the hoax believers are drawn to things about which they can tell fanciful stories with relatively little danger of being contradicted or disproven.

are the HBers just jealous because they can't think up their own handshake?

The level of intelligence exhibited by many hoax believers indicates this is also true.