I've never heard an argument about narrow hones for some abstract 'difficult edges', but I've always heard that narrow hones are needed to deal with concavity of warped razors (and frowning ones if you keep the frown). Smiling razors are anything but difficult compared to warped ones.
Honestly, I don't really understand the value in your suggestion - concentrating on using a 1" width of a hone. The only way I can see how it can be helpful is by indirectly making the person to pay attention at the contact point between the razor and the hone by telling them to try to focus everything in a small area.
To me it makes a lot more sense to point them directly to the actual thing that matters - paying attention to the contact point, which is what I've always suggested and I had the impression that it had become the standard advice.