Same here - I use a 6", 60 layer sewn muslin wheel running around 1000RPM. I charge it with matchless white compound. Just a pass or two after sharpening on the belt grinder (usually 120 grit) removes the wire and polishes the edge. I then cut up a 4X6 postcard into slices and wipe off the blade with alcohol.
I do some Japanese kitchen knives on the water stones, but the power sharpening on the belt grinder and a quick buff works fine for most knives and takes less than 60 seconds a knife.
I have a leather belt in the shop that I haven't used in many years. When I want to leather-strop a blade, I have a long strop board I made that works fine. The leather belt is a lot of trouble to set up and adjust the tension.
There is another reason I don't use the leather strop belt anymore. It was a strop belt that snagged the tip of a fillet knife late one night and in 1/100th of a second cut a chunk off the heel of my hand off. It could have been a tragic accident, but luckily all I lost was a 1" circle of palm meat and skin. I have a cool scar to remind me.
I was working late at night finishing up a big batch of fillet knives. I was tired, and after sharpening the batch on a 400-grit belt I put on the leather belt. I neglected to turn the speed down to dead slow and proceeded to strop the knives at the same speed I sharpened them at. On one knife the tip snagged just a little on the leather as I was switching sides and flipped across my left hand. I felt a sting and saw a piece of my knit glove fall on the workbench. I grabbed a paper towel, wrapped it around my hand, and headed inside to see how bad I was cut. When I removed the glove and looked, I had a 1" circle of missing skin and flesh on the heel of the hand about 1" above the wrist. Just a little lower and I would have severed my arteries at the wrist. It took a couple months for the wound to heal and a couple years for the palm to grow back enough meat so I didn't have a flat spot.
Moving a super sharp knife along a strop board is far safer way to strop the edge.
A buffer can also be very dangerous around a sharp blade. I use a buffer because that is what I use all day long in my jewelry work. Even then I am very careful with the position of the knife and edge when buffing. A Buffer Can Be Very Dangerous if you are not trained to use one right. I have 12" commercial buffers, but rarely use them. except on handles.
I also don't work tired anymore.
