The last bowl I did, I sanded up to 400. It came out very shiny, but with fine lines. I had to sand them off afterwords. I know that typically results from going up through the grades too quickly, but I didn't do that. I blamed HF sandpaper.
I did another bowl today and used steel wool instead of sandpaper after 150. It worked great, especially on the inside where the paper is hard to hold. (very small bowl, with the top curving in...)
Snags were a minor problem, but much easier overall.
I have never heard of anyone using steel wool for this. Any major pro or cons I am overlooking?