Unusually nice enamel pins sought
July 19, 2023 8:41 AM Subscribe
I recently bought a couple of really nice enamel pins and want more. What do you recommend?
What I mean:
I recently bought this Another Green World pin and this weird rabbit pin.
They are both hard enamel, unusual and very nicely made. I've bought a couple of other enamel pins in the past that had great designs but were (maybe?) soft enamel and the enamel rubbed off a bit over time. These are glossy and hard-surfaced and I can already tell that won't happen.
When I click around Etsy, there are multiple vendors who sell the same kinds of things - flowers, zodiac stuff, cute animals, etc. And many of these are indeed cute, but they're not super original in style and the quality doesn't look especially great.
Who/where do you recommend for interesting, artist-designed, high-quality enamel pins? I probably wouldn't want real one-off art pieces that cost $50 each - more the "high quality small batch production" stuff that costs up to $20.
What I mean:
I recently bought this Another Green World pin and this weird rabbit pin.
They are both hard enamel, unusual and very nicely made. I've bought a couple of other enamel pins in the past that had great designs but were (maybe?) soft enamel and the enamel rubbed off a bit over time. These are glossy and hard-surfaced and I can already tell that won't happen.
When I click around Etsy, there are multiple vendors who sell the same kinds of things - flowers, zodiac stuff, cute animals, etc. And many of these are indeed cute, but they're not super original in style and the quality doesn't look especially great.
Who/where do you recommend for interesting, artist-designed, high-quality enamel pins? I probably wouldn't want real one-off art pieces that cost $50 each - more the "high quality small batch production" stuff that costs up to $20.
Strike Gently Co. is a small-batch, family-owned/operated company. Pins are $10.
posted by quadrilaterals at 8:58 AM on July 19, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by quadrilaterals at 8:58 AM on July 19, 2023 [3 favorites]
Here are some nice enamel pins from Luck and Lavender studio based in Ottawa. They are a NB maker and I really like them. (I have one of their prints on my home office wall.)
I have a couple of cat themed enamel pins from Yellow Owl Workshop.
I also like Stay at Home Club's enamel pins too.
posted by Kitteh at 9:02 AM on July 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
I have a couple of cat themed enamel pins from Yellow Owl Workshop.
I also like Stay at Home Club's enamel pins too.
posted by Kitteh at 9:02 AM on July 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
I really like Amar & Riley! They're definitely original in style, look beautiful, and I had one rolling around in the bottom of my bag for ages because I didn't put on locking backs and the pin backs dropped off and I kept not replacing them, and it didn't seem any the worse for wear.
This is a pretty specific aesthetic but I've bought the Bebe Bat and Coeur Noir pins from RosePinkMoon several times over so I don't have to move them between jackets.
posted by babelfish at 9:06 AM on July 19, 2023 [8 favorites]
This is a pretty specific aesthetic but I've bought the Bebe Bat and Coeur Noir pins from RosePinkMoon several times over so I don't have to move them between jackets.
posted by babelfish at 9:06 AM on July 19, 2023 [8 favorites]
I own ... a lot of pins. Some of my faves come from:
Strange Ways
Little Shop of Pins
Unemployed Philosopher's Guild
enamel camel
Strike Gently
Strike Gently Pin Co
posted by anastasiav at 9:47 AM on July 19, 2023 [4 favorites]
Strange Ways
Little Shop of Pins
Unemployed Philosopher's Guild
enamel camel
Strike Gently
Strike Gently Pin Co
posted by anastasiav at 9:47 AM on July 19, 2023 [4 favorites]
Just in case you didn't recognize it, the rabbit on your pin looks like an homage to The Black Rabbit of Inlé (the rabbit harbinger of death) from the wonderful 1978 animated film Watership Down.
As for other pins, if you're interested in Chinese / East Asian food, I love this company's Bok Choy and White Rabbit Candy pins.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:02 AM on July 19, 2023
As for other pins, if you're interested in Chinese / East Asian food, I love this company's Bok Choy and White Rabbit Candy pins.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 10:02 AM on July 19, 2023
Alstro Arts does some interesting and complicated pins, animal/nature themed. They use a mix of hard and soft enamel for different elements, transparent enamel, all kinds of fancy stuff. I prefer hard enamel in general, but someone who really knows the effects that can be achieved with various materials can do cool stuff.
posted by kite at 10:06 AM on July 19, 2023
posted by kite at 10:06 AM on July 19, 2023
That is a cool Eno pin
posted by kensington314 at 10:18 AM on July 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by kensington314 at 10:18 AM on July 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
I have several pins from Nucleus Portland that are high quality.
posted by Oliva Porphyria at 10:37 AM on July 19, 2023
posted by Oliva Porphyria at 10:37 AM on July 19, 2023
Another vote for Strike Gently - I have heaps of their work, and it's all great quality. They very frequently have sales and giveaways as well - buy two get one free, or mystery pins thrown in with the order, etc. Their blankets are also super excellent quality, and patches, and basically their whole jam is my jam.
posted by FatherDagon at 10:39 AM on July 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by FatherDagon at 10:39 AM on July 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
Lost Lust Supply (artist collaborations, you probably want the ones where the enamel is flush with the metal, though)
alumandink (Ignore the cute stuff if you don't like it; I love their mini cityscapes)
Literary Emporium
posted by wintersweet at 10:50 AM on July 19, 2023 [3 favorites]
alumandink (Ignore the cute stuff if you don't like it; I love their mini cityscapes)
Literary Emporium
posted by wintersweet at 10:50 AM on July 19, 2023 [3 favorites]
I would definitely look at Faunwood. Some of her stuff is also sold via Nucleus Portland, mentioned above.
posted by neushoorn at 11:54 AM on July 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by neushoorn at 11:54 AM on July 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
Wm. Spear Design is a small artist-owned shop in Juneau, Alaska, that produces a surprising variety of nature and science-themed enamel pins, pendants, and zipper pulls.
They're one of my go-to gifts when I am traveling and want to bring some small guest gifts with me as they are beautifully done, moderately priced (by Alaskan standards, at any rate), and travel well.
Many, but not all, of the designs are Alaska themed and I tend to choose those for my travel gifts. I've left behind many a great blue heron or raven or "eskimo halibut" zipper pull as thanks to someone in some part of the world, but there's a pretty broad and quirky variety of pins to choose from and every once in a while I have occasion to give away one of the domain-specific ones, e.g. a VU meter pin I gave to a person who was starting a career as a recording engineer or the radiation symbol I gave to a friend to adorn their beloved vintage punk-era jacket.
I will say that their website is like something out of 2005 (if that!) but the pins are quality (better than you might expect from the primitive website) and they're a nice bunch of people. Anyone who happens to be traveling through Juneau (e.g. as a cruise ship tourist) should keep an eye out for the shop. It's hidden away up a flight of stairs and the signage is easy to miss but it's fun to browse and see the collection all at once. (For my part I don't get to Juneau all that often so I buy them here in Ketchikan at my neighbors' gallery, which carries them because they're (a) cool, and (b) a recognizable regional trinket that isn't crap like so much else marketed to tourists here..)
posted by Nerd of the North at 12:37 PM on July 19, 2023
They're one of my go-to gifts when I am traveling and want to bring some small guest gifts with me as they are beautifully done, moderately priced (by Alaskan standards, at any rate), and travel well.
Many, but not all, of the designs are Alaska themed and I tend to choose those for my travel gifts. I've left behind many a great blue heron or raven or "eskimo halibut" zipper pull as thanks to someone in some part of the world, but there's a pretty broad and quirky variety of pins to choose from and every once in a while I have occasion to give away one of the domain-specific ones, e.g. a VU meter pin I gave to a person who was starting a career as a recording engineer or the radiation symbol I gave to a friend to adorn their beloved vintage punk-era jacket.
I will say that their website is like something out of 2005 (if that!) but the pins are quality (better than you might expect from the primitive website) and they're a nice bunch of people. Anyone who happens to be traveling through Juneau (e.g. as a cruise ship tourist) should keep an eye out for the shop. It's hidden away up a flight of stairs and the signage is easy to miss but it's fun to browse and see the collection all at once. (For my part I don't get to Juneau all that often so I buy them here in Ketchikan at my neighbors' gallery, which carries them because they're (a) cool, and (b) a recognizable regional trinket that isn't crap like so much else marketed to tourists here..)
posted by Nerd of the North at 12:37 PM on July 19, 2023
The style of your pins reminds me of Donna Wilson. I can't vouch for the wooden pins, but have liked the enamel pins if they come back.
posted by sincerely yours at 1:23 PM on July 19, 2023
posted by sincerely yours at 1:23 PM on July 19, 2023
I also buy lots of pins! I've found cute ones at:
Stay Home Club
Le Petite elefant
Inner Decay
Pin Museum
posted by PussKillian at 2:11 PM on July 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
Stay Home Club
Le Petite elefant
Inner Decay
Pin Museum
posted by PussKillian at 2:11 PM on July 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
I follow almost all these people on Instagram and have made pins myself. The way to find more: Search for #pingame on Instagram.
posted by limeonaire at 3:22 PM on July 19, 2023
posted by limeonaire at 3:22 PM on July 19, 2023
I really like Amar & Riley! They're definitely original in style, look beautiful, and I had one rolling around in the bottom of my bag for ages because I didn't put on locking backs and the pin backs dropped off and I kept not replacing them, and it didn't seem any the worse for wear.
I also came to suggest Amar and Riley. They are really nice quality- even the seconds.
posted by oneirodynia at 4:48 PM on July 20, 2023
Response by poster: Here to report that the Amar and Riley pins captured my imagination, although I saw a number of others that I am seriously considering. I ordered several from A&R and can recommend them highly - the mycelia pin is especially good.
posted by Frowner at 2:20 PM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Frowner at 2:20 PM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jgirl at 8:55 AM on July 19, 2023 [2 favorites]