You are lucky to have so many choices.

Spend the money to get the good tools and you will thank yourself over and over again.

I don't have a silvertip, just a good pure badger brush (I think Rooney made it) and it cost me $50 and it performs well. Not too stiff, not too soft and it holds water well.

My opinion of anything less is blah!!! The min consideration should be a good pure badger brush.

Lots of good shaving soaps out there, I use Col. Conk Pucks and always get a great shave and they last a long time. The SRP Vendors will guide you correctly. There are other nice soaps out there and the choices are excellent. Looking back, if I could do it again, I would have bought a stainless steel blade or a higher end Carbon Steel blade as my first buy as that is what I prefer today.

Get a 4 sided pasted paddle strop and a nice Latigo 3" leather/canvass strop.

I know you wanted some answers and so did I when I first started.

Good Luck!

Pabster