I would stay away from ivory or whale bone, since you'll be attracting alot of attention with your new pipe, you certainly don't want to give the invious non-pipe smokers any ammo to take you down a notch. I would go with a simply one, maybe made of something like brazilian mahogony or another nice wood. My first pipe actually belonged to my father and was a moderately priced piece. I would also suggest that you work on your pipe mannerisms, since this is what will really solidify you as a pipesmoker. Pointing at things with the pipe during a conversation is a good start, might want to watch a few Carey Grant movies.
Any good pipe store should allow you to sample the tobacco before you bye it so that shouldn't be a problem. I started smoking a pipe because I didn't want to be like the girls at school with their cigarettes and having to smoke at every "break".