Ive been playing a couple of months started taking lessons, im learning with a french bow, first of all my teacher uses one so it was obvious, i also believe it streghtens your right hand alot more then a german bow well its bein doing my one a world of good. Also my teacher said if you can play something with a french bow you can probably play it with anything.
I got my first bow which is still my current from china, for 60 squids, and my teacher said it was really good for a student bow and the price. Its a full size. He makes bows himself, and only uses his own now, so i trust his judgement.
Also on roison, my teach advised some sweedish stuff nymans i believe, but i got some petz in cardiff for practicality, its really soft, but goes on easy, and my bows just about rigt now, i dont have roisin it as much.
Also i read somewere that its good to begin with violin roisin i did it and seems grand,