I can and do regularly remove small burrs (on German and Swiss chipcarving tools, mostly) all the time. This is sometimes done using plain leather on a flat surface. Here's a reference by just one expert on woodcarving: How to Carve Wood: A Book of ... - Google Book Search. Oddly, I have one of the very first editions on my own bookshelf. It originally came out in 1984. I just did a quick google search on "can stropping remove a burr" and found it near the top of the list.

I have come to believe that plain leather demonstrates abrasive qualities every time I use it.