In looking for a hone often the first thing that comes up is size.
I know there are sizes for different purposes. Narrower hones for smiling blades (though a few changes in my stroke makes that seem less important now). I keep finding blades with frowns and want to avoid narrow hones on those (to avoid the temptation to perpetuate the error).
I am thinking my ideal size would make it possible to keep most of the edge (say 80%) on the hone when holding at a 45 degree angle and still have a long enough stroke that one wouldn't have to do 100 strokes to get something done.
Maybe it matters a bit what stage you are at. In other words, do you like a bigger hone for bevel setting and sharpening? Is that less important when you come to polishing?
So, what is the ideal size for a hone?