Using multiple soaps can slow you down to getting a good shave, but once you get a great lather from one then you know what to shoot for with the other soaps. So learn one of them, get it perfect, and then move onto the others.
For strops, SRD has hanging strops and paddles with replacement parts. This is good because most likely you will ruin your first strop (or three in my case). Most people use the hanging strop, but some prefer the paddle strop. I use both - hanging strop at home and a paddle strop when I'm away.