As you have a tough beard try using a shave oil ,something like The King of Shaves range . Use it as prep when you wash your face before applying the Lather use it with plenty of water. This will soften your beard quite a bit& should help the razor to give you a better shaving experience.
I have one of Tony Millers Vegan strops & I am having trouble to get good results with my Hollow ground blades. But it is fine with my half hollows & wedges. This may be down to my own technique but the hollows seem to respond better to my horsehide strop.Just my own experience. The heavier draw of the Vegan strop is something I've yet to get used to. Hope this helps Paul