Don't know whose you're using, but there certainly are a bunch far less
than that in every bundle I've ever laid....more like 3" would be my
estimate, but I've not measured them to actually see what the smallest
were.

Ah, thanks for the heads up. Mine haven't arrived yet, supposed to be
here next week. Just based the 5" number on my shopping research.

Man, that would take a lot of material if you mean a setback of
1-1/2"???

I thought they were asking for the minimum side lap between joints in
adjacent courses!

They do make a tapersawn shake, which is what I'm using. It's sawn
like a shingle, but thicker, like a shake.

That's a heavier weight shingle in my thinking...

I guess so. They call it a tapersawn shake though. It's installed like
a regular shake, using the felt interlay technique.