Advice on keeping my carving tools sharp.

I have a strop/honing leather and polishing compound to help keep my tools sharp but they do not seem to be as sharp as I would like. I am careful when sharpening them to not round them over or anything like that. I guess I use the strop and compound but as I carve it seems like it takes a lot of effort. I see videos and it seems like their tools are cutting through the wood like a knife through butter. Is it my technique when I carve making me use extra effort? Do I need to get a sharpening stone? The wood I have been using is baswood. Advice?