I hone everything, with stone in hand. The thin, 1/2" stones, I hold in the palm of a open hand, finger tips out of the way.

By holding a stone in hand, it acts as a gimbal bearing. If I apply too much pressure to the heel or toe, the stone will tilt to match, ensuring even pressure though out the length of the blade. In short, no honing off the edge of the stone, common when honing on a flat, fixed surface.