Hey there everyone!

I have been lurking for the last week or so, and I thought I would finally take the plunge and introduce myself. I am a pastor up here in northern Alberta, and I have been looking at trying straight razor shaving for quite a while now. Now, I'm not sure if anyone else on the boards is a minister, but generally speaking the category of "disposable income" is a small one, so I want to get this as right as I can on the first try :-).

I know that some of the simple things (such as the strop and shaving mug/soap) are pretty straight forward, but I had some questions specifically about the brush and the straight razor. I have a fairly coarse beard, and I always maintain some sort of groomed beard (currently a mustache, goatee, and beard following my jawline), so I shave my cheeks and neck regularly (I also shave my head as well, but that may be a discussion for another day .). I'm generally a low-maintenance guy, but I don't mind taking the time to do something right (I'm a pipe smoker too).

So then, here are my questions:
~ What would be a good first razor - grind, point, make, model, etc.? (economy is important, but not at the expense of quality... I'd rather spend more now than be ****ed off later )
~ What is a good place to order from for a Canadian to order from? I know about classicshaving.com, but can anyone recommend someone on this side of the border?

Anyway, thanks in advance for all your help, and I hope I'll get to know you all over the next while.

~M