Almost, as good, but not quite.

I have experimented for years. Cotton Canvas is good, Polyester Canvas even better. Fine weave Nylon, seat belt type, not seatbelts (used they are too dirty and contain a lot of grit) is the best substitute, but either work great as a linen substitute.
Nylon and Polyester strapping is great for novices as they are very hard to cut and nick. For the novice they will produce as good an edge as leather, technique is more important than the substrate.

All weaves, cotton, nylon and polyester are great for pasting.

A razor edge is very thin and does not take much to straighten and polish, which is why in a pinch, you hand, really does work.