I'm looking for recommendations for a synthetic brush. I currently have only one brush - a Simply Beautiful Badger Brush with a chrome handle. I'm not sure of the knot size or loft. (I know - heresy.) I bowl lather, and I prefer creams to soaps; I usually use soap only once every 2 weeks. I want to spend $25 or less. Thanks for your input.
Take a look at the Whipped Dog synthetic. http://whippeddog.com/products/view/synthetic-knot / It's within your budget, and if you don't like it Larry will refund your money. The website shows that the 24mm knots are out of stock, but Larry just received new inventory. Email him to confirm availability. I received mine just yesterday and have only shaved once with it. I bowl lathered Stirling soap and was VERY impressed by the performance of this brush. Edit: corrected hyperlink format
First, you gotta read what @GDCarrington has to say about synthetics ---> *click* An extremely comprehensive article.
Whatever you do don't get a Parker synthetic. I'm going to go further- don't go with anything less than gen 4. Or if you do- don't badmouth synths as inferior to natural afterwards. I had a HIS that was supremely soft. A lot better than the Tweezerman pure badger I started wet shaving with but I just didn't like its size. The knot was too big and wasteful and the handle was way too big too and felt uncomfortable mixing up lather. Should have been for Andre the Giant.
I really like my Whipped Dog too. For me, in that price range, it's a toss-up between the WD synth and the Kent Infinity, which is an incredible deal for $20 if you like smaller brushes with plenty of backbone.