First of all, welcome to our little part of the world!
To answer you question: I don't know about Jacob Ray, but Hart makes fine razors. However, I would not buy either for my first straight razor because of the cost. You might not even like shaving with a straight, and those are both fairly heavy investments. Don't forget, you will also need to buy a strop to go with either one.
For a first straight razor, a simple 5/8 is probably your best best. Also I would HIGHLY recommend a round point unless you like the rugged scarred look on your face
If you take a look in the classified here, you will find good deals on razors that will most likely come shave tested and ready. (It will say so in the ad)
This is a friendly and helpful bunch here, so please don't hesitate to ask questions because we were all new to straight shaving at some point.