A while back I cut my Nortons in half length-wise, since I believed they would be easier to use. I used them just fine and had no problems, but I was experienced enough at honing at the time to know how to use them properly. But, I no longer believe it was beneficial as using narrow stones can lead to other potential problems, especially if you are trying to learn on them. If the stones you are considering are not the narrow one, but simply shorter, I think the same applies; it would likely lead to problems. I think you're by far better off just going with the regular sized Nortons, despite the extra expense. It'll be worth it in the long run.