Welcome! Keep an eye out for gently used brushes on this site. I picked up a nice gently used badger for a great price but, I missed out on the stink and break in!
A good synthetic is nice too.
A good synthetic is nice too.
I went through the search for a good quality, low cost starter brush last fall. After looking at all the B&B recommendation threads I could find, I got an Omega 10049 boar brush. So far I'm happy with it. ~$10 including shipping.