Magnetic lapel pin backs have become very popular and it’s easy to understand why. On paper they make a lot of sense. By using a magnet you don’t have to pierce through your garment. Makes sense….right? Well in our experience many customers who make the switch to magnetic backs eventually switch back to traditional clutch backs. Here are five factors to consider when your customer asks for a magnetic back on their lapel pin.

1. Magnets can be difficult to wear:
   When you put it on, you have to line up both pieces exactly for the best results. Typically the magnet attachment is small so it can be difficult for older folks to place the main piece on the clothing while trying to hold the small attaching piece in their other hand and then reaching into their clothing to line up the two pieces properly. At least with the military clutch, the “pinching” area of the clutch gives you something to hold on to.
2. The “attaching” magnet piece is easily lost:
   If it is not lined up properly and a good connection is not made, you will lose your magnet attachment and possibly your main pin. If you lose the “attaching” magnet part, your main pin now becomes useless and you may as well throw it away. On the other hand, if this pin had a standard military clutch back and you lost the clutch, it is a safe bet that you would be able to find a replacement clutch right in your jewelry or accessory box (whether you are a male or a female.)
3. The pin is more easily lost.
   Although the factory will use “rare earth magnets” that possess a very strong magnetic field, the connection can still easily be broken. Your clients should take care when putting on a coat or a sweater or bumping into someone or something….anything that can cause the cause the magnetic field to be broken so that you do not lose your pin or attaching magnet.
4. The pin/magnet connection is prone to failure.
   Magnets can not be fused or soldered to a pin – therefore they are glued in place with strong epoxy glue. However, no glue will ever be as strong as a mechanical bond (like is used to attach a traditional nail to the emblem back). The rare earth magnets are so strong, sometimes the constant pulling of the magnetic fields from the main pin to the “attaching” magnet causes the magnet that is glued to the back of the main pin to become unglued. It would not be unusual to find someone wearing only two magnets on their shirt – the main pin has come unglued and has fallen off and is gone forever!
5. Handling a bunch of magnets can be tricky!
   Let’s say you order 500 pins with magnetic backs.  They’ll typically be individually polybagged.  500 magnets create quite a strong magnetic field!  When you unpack them, they’ll try to stick to your desk, your stapler, anything made of steel.  Then at the end of the day, you take the pin off, put it on your bureau, and the next morning you find it stuck to your keys.  Magnets can be a pain!
   

– by Elaine DeSimone

Quite often a customer will call with an existing emblem that their client had ordered long ago and now they want to duplicate it. The question always comes up – How can I tell which process was used to make it? With 40+ years of experience it’s pretty easy for us to look at an item and tell you how it was made – but here are some some quick tests / tips to help you narrow down the options: 

1. Try to bend it – This will help you narrow down the material.  If you can bend it (and it doesn’t snap) then it’s probably pewter.  It is definitely not zinc – zinc is very hard and would snap before it bends.  Brass and steel will bend – but difficult to do with bare hands.
2. Stick a magnet to it – try placing any magnet (a refrigerator magnet works well) to the item – if it sticks then it’s steel / iron.  Magnets will not stick to brass, aluminum, zinc or pewter. 
3. Look for a beveled edge.  If you examine the edge of the item – do the two “halves” come together with a slight bevel?  If so the piece was cast (if it’s a fairly prononuced bevel – then most likely zinc die cast – try the bending trick above to confirm).  Cast items need to come out of their mold when the metal cools.   If the edges were not beveled – then the piece would not eject from the mold easily.  If there is no beveled egde and there is a 90 degree angle between the face and the side of the item – it was probably die struck. 

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A few days ago – Marv at Pure Marketing Group gave me a good idea for a post.   During the course of our discussion – Marv asked me “What’s the difference between genuine and imitation cloisonne?” 

The difference boils down to the material used in the color filling step.  The products are manufactured the same way up to the point that the colors are added.   The piece is diestruck (traditionally in guilding metal – but as copper and brass have gotten more expensive – steel has become an option) creating the details of the design in raised metal.  Each piece is trimmed to shape, deburred and the nail is fused on.   This is where the two production processes diverge.

Click Image to see at Full Size

In Genuine Cloisonne the color fill material is created from ground glass mixed with metals.  The various metals used create the color in the metal (iron mixed in creates red – for example).   There are a couple competing color systems (Aoki and Flower Vase are the most popular) and each have their strengths – but no cloisonne colors are able to match PMS colors exactly.   The cloisonne material goes in as a powder, then the piece is fired until the material melts.  The cavities are purposefully over-filled so that the color goes over the metal lines.  Once it cools – the piece is then polished on a wet stone wheel – which grinds down the color fill until the surface is flat and the metal lines exposed.  Finally the piece is plated (gold or silver – traditionally). (more…)

 Are you planning to wear an 8″ lapel pin?  Did you want a keytag the size of a your laptop?  No?  Then why did you create your art so big??  Of course we know the answer to this question.   Most of the time clients create art for other media – then wish to use it for emblematic items.    That sounds like a good idea – but squeezing an 8″image onto a 1″ lapel pin usually doesn’t work. 

So how do you know which is the right size?  

1. Image is everything.  Consider the impression the item makes.  Is this a prestigious award for achievement? if so you probably want an understated look.    Are you introducing a new product or service?  Now is not the time to be subtle - don’t be shy -make it bigger.  Understanding where you need to be along this continuum is an important first step.  Is your client leaning toward a bigger, bolder item or toward a smaller, understated appearance.
2. Be practical.  Big keychains are bulky and don’t fit easily in your pocket.   Women however, tend to keep keys in purses and want to find them quickly.   An Inn or Bed & Breakfast will often prefer big keytags because they don’t want guests walking off with keys.   Think through the practical implications of size.
3. Test it.  Sometimes I’ll be discussing the size of an item with a customer and I can just tell by their reactions that they’re not getting it.  To them  1 3/8″ is just an esoteric number that doesn’t have meaning.  It’s the same way with mechanics.  A mechanic can look into a tool box and spot which nut is 15/16 and which is 7/8.  Don’t rely on the numbers when picking a size.  Pull out your pencil, paper and ruler and sketch the item at the size your considering.  Now cut it out.  If it’s a pin, hold it up to your lapel – how’s it look?  It may seem silly, but it works. 
4. Reality check.  Using the “ballpark” dimensions you’ve selected, scale your art to size and print it out.  You can’t tell how something will look on a computer screen – you must print it out.  If you can’t figure out how to scale the art before you print it – then print it and use a copy machine to reduce it to size.  Now that you’ve got your design on paper at actual size – look at it.  If you can make out the details you should be ok. 

The next time you find yourself struggling with a design - try some of these techniques.