Well, echoing what others have said, I would agree that getting a cheap badger brush would be a failed experiment if you just want to try one out. There are lots of good inexpensive boar bristle brushes from the well known manufacturers which are just fine after being broken in. Not so with badger. Also, I think you may want to consider what you like about your favorite boar, and look for that queality in a badger brush? Unlike boar which can have a dual personality (lots of backbone but soft tips) my experience with badger is that they tend to be one dimensional-either good painters or good scrubbers but not both. I like a scrubby brush so I have a black hair badger which works well for me. Getting an expensive silver tip would probably be a mistake for me.
Please accept my apology if I have offended anyone and please correct me if your experience has been different!
