Get a good badger hair brush... Silver tip is said to be best. I'm loving my Silver tip from the Art of Shaving.

And the soaps from The Straight Razor Place are fantastic. I particularly like their West Indies Bay, Frankincense, and Opus X soaps. Half of the experience is the soothing essential oil smells while you shave.

I'm a noob who took it up mid-life, 3 months in now and loving it. The whole ritual is like the perfect old-timey Andy Griffith spa experience for my face.