I would recommend that you not make a significant investment until you've tried lots of different things and have an idea where you want this trip to take you.
A Bethlehem Bravo, for instance, is way more torch than a beginner needs if they are planning to work in soft glass. I would start on a hot head or a small torch like a Cricket or a Nortel Minor, and then trade that in and move up if you decide you want to work bigger and hotter. If you are planning to work in Boro, I'm not sure what the best starter setup is.
If you are planning to do soft glass, this is my list of absolute necessities. This can be built out as you find your feet and develop a specific direction and set of 'need to trys'.
- Torch (Hot Head, Nortel Minor, Cricket, MiniCC - keep it small to start with)
- Kiln - Paragon SC2 or Glass Hive Regular Guy
- Kiln Rack (unless the kiln has a contraption built in)
- Oxygen Concentrator - 5LPM (unless you decide to start with a hot head, then you can skip this for now)
- Glass. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to not overdo this. Buy only what you need, and make yourself use it up practicing. Experience all of the colours you want to try, but do it gradually. If you don't do it this way, you will end up with an accumulation of stuff you don't want, and you will feel tremendous guilt whenever you do buy new glass because of the giant glass millstone already hanging around your neck.
- Tweezers
- 3"x4" Graphite Marver
- Graphite Marver Plate
- Mandrels (3/32" or bigger - it's too easy to melt through the skinny ones for a beginner, and it's a sort of puzzling/terrifying experience)
- Fusion Bead Release
- Barbecue Mashers
- Inexpensive set of steel sculpting tools