What are Enamel Badges and How Should You Wear Them?

 

 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably the type that notices trends and have found that enamel badges are becoming a lot popular these days. While they’ve been around for a long time, they only recently began to receive more attention and quite frankly, a lot of people still don’t know what they are.
 

So, what are enamel badges? Are they any different from lapel pins or enamel pins? How and when should I wear them? Can I have them custom made? What are the types that exist? These are some of the questions many people have about enamel badges and in this article, we’ll be answering some of these questions. Visit https://www.pinterest.com/ to find men’s lapel designs.
 

What are Enamel Badges?

Before anything else, let us just clear any confusion. There’s really no difference between enamel badges and pins and lapel pins; they are all the same. The term you get used to is most probably dependent on what part of the world you’re in.
 

For instance, in Australia, it is mostly known as a badge while in the US, it is mostly referred to as pins. In this article, we’ll be using these terms interchangeably. With that out of the way, let’s look at what they really are, regardless of what you may call them.
 

Enamel badges are simply metal clothing accessories that are worn for a variety of purposes. They can be worn to show off one’s creativity and fashion style, express a brand’s purpose or show affiliation to a country, team, or organization.
 

Some people wear cheesy badges which often come in handy as ice breakers when meeting new people while some are content if all it does is make people smile. You can now see how there’s really no limit to what enamel badges can be worn for.



They are metal badges layered with some kind of decorative enamel. They can be made from different metals including iron, steel, brass, aluminum, copper, or even gold. These pins are polished smooth with a recessed area left for the design which is done using different types of enamel.
 

There exist different designs, so, there shouldn’t be any hassle finding one that suits your style, personality, or purpose. Of course, if you can’t find one that fits exactly what you want, you can always have it custom-made. You can take a look at enamel badges-Ebadges to learn more.

 

Types of Enamel Badges

There are different types that people can choose from, however, these pins fall under two main categories. They are hard and soft enamel.

 

Hard

These pins require a lot of work to make them look smooth and flush. Requiring a mold before production begins, they are made through a traditional high-temperature firing process. Hard enamel pins are usually custom-made by people or organizations going for simplicity and durability.
 

We say “simplicity” because it is sometimes impossible to make hard enamel pins for logos or designs that are complex and have a lot of detail. This is why you’ll see most metal badges having a simple design compared to printed badges or soft enamel badges. If you’d like a pin that you can wear for years to come, this is certainly the way to go.

 

Soft

These pins are a lot cheaper and easier to make than the hard ones. The production process simply involves stamping the design onto the desired metal. Some manufacturers offer a wide variety of finishes including antiques.
 

Once the design is stamped, it is finished with the recommended colors and enamel before being hand polished. While this option costs less to produce and can be used for more complex designs, finishes aren’t as smooth and high-quality as hard enamel badges.
 

Why Are They Popular Today?

 

There are many reasons why these badges are so popular today. There’s almost no limit to the type of designs one can make and they can be made for probably less than what most people think. In simple terms, they are versatile and affordable.
 

Also, you may have noticed that they are accepted in business and formal settings where not much creativity is permitted in terms of fashion and dress styles. With these pins, you can express some of your creativity or personal interests on your shiny navy-blue jacket. Change things up a little with badges that reveal a charity you support, your favorite sports team, or anything you find cool that won’t be inappropriate in a business setting.

There’s also the fact that these pins are one “piece of jewelry” that for the most part is unisex. Regardless of your sex or race, you can find hundreds or thousands of pins that appeal to you.

 

Custom-Made Badges

If you’re looking to have a bespoke badge, you should know that the process is usually fairly straightforward. Once you’ve found a manufacturer that you’re ready to work with, half the work is pretty much done. The next step is discussing your design.
 

If you already have a design and are just looking to get it minted, the manufacturer will let you know if it would be a hard or soft enamel badge. As we mentioned earlier, the former doesn’t support overly complex designs with too much detail while the latter does. This is one of the things that you might want to put in mind when making your design.
 

Once that is settled along with the cost of production and the desired quantity, the manufacturer gets to work. Typically, hard enamel pins take longer since they require a mold. As for finding a reliable manufacturer, a little digging online should produce good results. Ensure you read reviews and ask to see previous jobs done before committing to anyone. Click here to learn more about how to find an enamel pin manufacturer.
 

Final Thoughts

Companies and often businesses nowadays leverage these pins as a marketing strategy to get their brand in front of more people. The idea behind it is simple. Customers that love the brand won’t mind wearing its badge to tell others that they are pleased with the brand’s products or services. With a little bit of creativity, enamel badges can be used greatly to one’s advantage.