Leather may not be needed
Richard,
While other , more knowledgeable wood workers may weigh in here, you may not need to use leather.
I used a piece of 3/4" MDF that has been charged with Lee Valley's Veritas Green Honing Compound. On a tip from a fellow wood worker, I added a drop of mineral oil to the surface of the MDF before I "drew" on it with the Green Honing compound. This helped the MDF to accept the charge better. Just a note, you don't need a lot of the honing compound. Just a couple scribbles.
A couple of nights ago I sharpened and honed all my chisels (in prep for a project). After I sharpened (using the Scary Sharp method) I honed the back and bevel on my stropping board. I was amazed at how quickly the wire edge appeared, crumbled, then left a SUPER SHARP edge! I was totally impressed and have since been on a sharpening binge. I sharpened and honed a Butcher iron from one of my Woodies last night and was rewarded with an improved performance from this plane.