I worked 30 years in a postal plan as a technician and I had to replace many pieces of metal because of the letters that were making grooves into the metal and also making some parts as sharp as a knife. I know because I cut myself a couple of times on these metal parts... :rant:
So yes, paper is abrasive. From what I learned on a wood carving forum, paper is a good last step for carving knives and the ink serves as a lubricant. But I never used leather without compound on my knives, so I don't know how it compare to paper for stropping.
It seems that everything I learn about stropping a staright will serve me for my wood carving knives :cool:
Gilles