Quote Originally Posted by halwilson
Hi Nenad,
I don't know if this is just a case of semantics, but rather than saying "they were made to force the X pattern" I would be inclined to say that barber hones were made small simply because it wasn't necessary to make them any larger. Their size is adequate to the task; besides they are easier to hold in the palm of the hand when honing which would be convenient for a barber who might not have workbench space in his small shop. Larger hones are no better or worse, but we should keep in mind that the modern 3" Nortons weren't designed originally with razors solely in mind; they were made for heavier and larger tools.
Hal
very true...

Nenad