Military Pins

Custom Military Pins and Badges

At the end of boot camp in the Marine Corps, recruits are awarded an eagle, globe and anchor badge and addressed as a Marine for the first time. Earning a place among the Corps is an incredible achievement, and the pins are cherished as a testament to a recruit’s struggle, sacrifice and their right to be called a Marine.

Not all military pins are as significant an award as the ones given to graduating Marines, but each design is special. Service members wear their pins with pride because each one is earned through commitment and service. For anyone looking to honor the soldiers and veterans in their life, custom pins are perfect for showing gratitude and celebrating their incredible achievements.

What Military Pins Mean

Every military pin stands for something specific, which is what separates them from ordinary lapel pins. A unit crest or distinctive unit insignia identifies the outfit someone served with. A qualification badge — aviator wings, jump wings, a dive badge — marks a school they completed and a skill they were certified in. A branch pin identifies the service itself. None of it is decoration; each design is tied to a unit, a course, or an achievement, and the people who wear them can tell you exactly which.

That is also why the custom pins on this page mean as much as they do. A unit reunion pin, an anniversary pin marking the year a battalion was formed, an honor guard pin, a veteran pin worn on a ball cap — each one is a symbol of pride and recognition that says the wearer was there. Getting the insignia right matters more here than on almost any other kind of pin, which is why our art team builds every proof against the artwork you send rather than approximating it.

Military Branch, Veteran, and Memorial Pins

Most of the military lapel pins we produce fall into one of a few groups. Branch pins carry a service emblem — the eagle, globe and anchor, the Army star, Air Force wings, the Navy anchor, the Coast Guard shield — sometimes on their own and sometimes paired with a unit motto or a date. Unit pins reproduce a squadron, battalion, or ship’s insignia in metal, and they are the most common reunion and anniversary order we see.

Veteran pins are the ones worn long after service ends, usually on a hat or a jacket lapel, and they tend to combine a branch emblem with a state, a conflict, or an organization’s name. Military service pins mark time served, the same way a corporate years of service pin marks tenure, and they are often ordered as a small series. Memorial pins honor a service member who has passed, typically pairing their insignia with a name and dates, and families order them for funerals, reunions, and anniversaries.

If you have a design in one of those groups — or something that fits none of them — send it in. We have made all of the above and plenty that defies categorizing.

Military Enamel Pin Designs

Coming up with a design is the best part of ordering a set of military pins. Custom artwork will often incorporate unit emblems or references to service branches, but that only scratches the surface of all the possibilities for design. Options like cut-outs, cut-to-shape artwork, dual plating and full 3D designs are all used to recreate important military badge designs with incredible detail.

High polish gold and silver plating are excellent options for anyone looking to create a lifelike military badge design, but we also have antique plating options and colored metal options that help any style of military pin stand out from the crowd. Military hat pins and lapel pins come in just about every shape and size you can imagine, so just send us your ideas, and we’ll set to work.

Depending on what style of artwork you’re looking for, our team may suggest certain types of pins that are best suited for your ideas. Die-struck pins are perfect for cut-to-shape designs in the form of aircraft, unit crests, or specific military badges because of their pure metal appearance. For customers looking for a splash of color, one of our military enamel pins is the best way to go.

Soft enamel pins are well known for their traditional appearance and layered texture. Enamel paint is added to the recessed portion of the artwork while the raised parts of the design prevent the colors from mixing. This gives the artwork a sense of depth and a classic appearance.

Cloisonne is another popular option for military enamel pins. Instead of the colors lying in the recessed portions of the design, the recessed areas of a cloisonne pin are filled to the brim with a special resin. Once the pins are kiln fired so the colored resin can set in place, they’re put aside to cool and then polished by hand to get a smooth, glossy finish.

If you’re not sure what type of pin is best for your design, just let us know. Our art team is happy to put together multiple free proofs and offer suggestions based on our years of experience as one of the best custom pin makers online.

Ordering Your Own Set of Military Lapel Pins

Whether you need a brand-new set of military pins and badges or you’re looking for a new military hat pin design, all you need to do is to fill out a free quote form anywhere on our website to get started. The quote form is the best place to jot down your ideas for artwork, let us know what type of pins you are hoping to order, and give us an idea of how many pins you need.

Something else to consider while preparing your ideas is the attachment option you want to use for your pins. Butterfly clutches and rubber military clutches are free options available to all of our customers, but if you’re planning on ordering a set of military hat pins, a safety pin backing or magnetic backing is perfect for securing pins in place without interfering with how the hat rests on your head.

Once the quote form is finished, our art team will set to work handcrafting a unique design based on your ideas. Within 48 hours, you’ll receive a free pricing quote and your first free proof of artwork. All revisions are free, so make sure to let us know what you think can be improved in the design. When you feel that everything is absolutely perfect, we can finalize your order.

Choosing the Best Custom Pin Maker Online

At Signature Pins, our job is to bring your vision to life. We have helped create flag pins, commemorative pins, unit pins and everything else in between. Some are awarded to soldiers and veterans, while others are used to raise awareness and funds for important causes, but in every case, military pins are a symbol of gratitude, sacrifice and honor.

If you’re looking for a special way to celebrate the soldiers in your life, give us a call today. We take special care to make sure our products meet the highest quality standards in the industry and include free shipping on all orders to the continental United States. Once you get started on your first order of military lapel pins, you’ll see for yourself what makes Signature Pins the best custom pin maker available online.