Somewhere in here I remember a thread all about linen/leather
The linen is basically a cleaner it removes the microscopic rust/rough and smooths the blade before the leather aligns the steel, some even say that it warms the edge so that the leather can do a better job.... The leather can do this alone too, so the choice is yours to make..... Personally I use my linen everyday then the leather but then again I have a rather large rotation so I might not use the same blade but 1-2 times a month..... Try it both ways and see what works best for you.....