Chris Crawford: I notice you shoot your Tri-X (or the example you posted, anyway) at EI 320. Do you then develop at the recommended time/temp for 400 or give it some extra? Since it's not even half a stop difference I'm guessing you can process it at normal time/temp. The pictures look great.
In answer to the OP: I just started myself, about six months ago. I experimented a little w/ Diafine and Rodinal but I don't love the excess grain. Tri-X has a grain that doesn't need any enhancements IMO. The two I've found that I love are Xtol -- which you can use very well for both thin and thicker emulsion films, ie TMax being an example of the first and Tri-X the second, and if you keep your time/temp and agitation fairly consistent the outcomes are super reliable. With Xtol it comes in poder and makes even more than a gallon: 5 liters. I use a big cheap plastic round tank with a coffee-urn type spout at the bottom and a plastic lid that floats on the liquid keeping the air off it even as it descends in the tank. Kodak gives Xtol 2 months shelf life and six months if airtight. I split the difference and tossed my first load at 4 months since I have the floating lid.
The second developer I love is Divided D-76. Doesn't work the same as regular. You have a solution A and a solution B: you give Tri-X at 400-800 about five minutes in A and then 5 in B. All the developing happens during the B cycle, using up the chemicals that have soaked onto the neg in the A cycle. There are detailed explanations online. Indeed, if you search for Tom A's name (see his post above) and Divided D-76 you'll find his recipe and recommendations -- which are what I use. You use the A solution forever practically, just pour it back after five minutes. The B solution,I kid you not, is made with Borax. Ie, 20 Mule Team laundry treatment. For your first time, the whole premeasured set of chemicals for A and B are available from Photographers' Formulary. Go to their site. The results are outstanding; tempoerature hardly matters; it's impossible to f**k it up. Almost. I managed a few times when I was starting but that's because I'm particularly dumb. You don't use Stop bath with divided developers (Diafine, by the way, is also a divided developer, but divided D76 is not so harsh). Just rinse and add fixer. (Or do you rinse? I can't remember. See? It's amazing I've managed to get any good pictures at all....)