The enamel pin is a very famous fashion accessory, considered by many as a collectible item, or even looked upon as items for promotional purposes. But one big general question among most enthusiasts and travelers is whether the enamel pins especially the custom soft enamel pins set off metal detectors. This is a really serious point of concern mostly for those who have their pins on or have the pins with them through security at airports, in concerts, or any other high-security areas. This paper will discuss enamel pins, how it works, and whether an alarm will go off with soft enamel pins . We will also learn about differences between soft and hard enamel pins and security effectiveness. These will help in easing the hassle of related people and enlightening collectors and producers on the enamel pins. What Are Enamel Pins? Enamel pins refer to small ornamental accessories fabricated from enamel paint and metal. Most of the time, they find applications as fashion promotional commodities, or collectibles. There exist two major classes of enamel pins namely; soft enamels and hard enamels both of which share a common base metal but differ in the finishing process hence texture and appearance of the pin. Soft Enamel Pins vs. Hard Enamel Pins The main way of differentiation between hard and soft enamel pins is the finish. The way of production of soft enamel pins is filling the concaved areas of a metal base with enamel paint, which is later solidified by baking. Hence the surface that results is textured in such a way that metal ridges are raised above the enamel. In contrast, hard enamel pins are made by polishing the level after applying the enamel, giving it a flat shiny finish. Both varieties are popular but usually, soft enamel types are preferable because of scope in design and reasonable pricing. The metal bases for the enamel pins are mostly zinc alloy, and the clasps are made of iron or copper. The actual enamel or paint for coloring and design is included, along with a protective epoxy coating. Sometimes, rhinestones, glitter, or other decorative elements can also be incorporated into the design. Most enamel pins have metal bases usually iron, brass, or an alloy of zinc. The choice of metal directly influences the cost, weight, and durability of the pin. The metal base is shaped, and the finish applied is plated; it could be gold or silver or nickel. The enamel paint is then painted into the sunken regions of the pin, and the pin is baked so that the enamel will solidify. This, as I said earlier, depends on what types of metals went into the fabrication of enamel pins and how sensitive the detector is. The Working Principle Behind Metal Detectors Metal detectors create an electromagnetic field and have interactions with metallic objects. Here’s how it goes: a metal object will break the detector’s electromagnetic field, which in turn triggers an alarm. How sensitive metal detectors are can commonly stem from variation across the models and settings of detectors. There exist models that can easily pick even the minutest trace of metal, whereas others are less sensitive and only alert when larger pieces of metal are detected. There are three main types of metal detectors: VLF PI, BFO, and Beat Frequency Oscillator, and VLF Very Low Frequency detectors. These differ in terms of complexity and performance. While the most complex ones manage to filter out all minerals in the air, leaving only precious metals, in practice, it is impossible to set up such filters without additionally filtering the metal too. The simple models underneath are not at all filtered, responding to every piece of metal and mineralization in the ground. The ‘bug’ device is certainly operating: one hears a sound indicated by a certain frequency while approaching a metal object; if a second sound is present, the operator’s ear will catch a beat note, instead of two separate noises. At times called ‘tuneable beat frequency metal detector’, this kind can have variable frequencies; that is, its transmitter should waver from 20 to 100 kHz. Only a compound of these elements coming close to that desired for walking through mineralized land to search for minerals has yet been elaborated between the two concentrations of gold with the maximum quantity of silver or copper with atomic weight numbers much lower than that of gold. There exist walk-through metal detectors, hand-held wands, and industrial detectors. Walk-through metal detectors are standard in airports, at entrance gates to concerts or governmental premises. Hand-held wands are applied as secondary screening where an operator uses them to check particular areas related to one's body or belongings. Generally applied in manufacturing and food processing industries to find metal impurities in products. This would depend on the type of detector then used that would determine if enamel pins say custom soft enamel pins, are going to set off an alarm. Metal Detectors and Enamel Pins: What Makes a Difference Detection of enamel pins by metal detectors is affected by several factors, including the detection settings of the specific metal detector, the size and shape of the pin, whether it is singly or in a group, and other items that may accompany it during detection. So sensitivity in detection settings, shape, and size matter. Only sensitive detection settings can help to find an individually singled relatively flat oval enamel pin placed lengthwise over all others in an archaeological collection, though sensitivity issues at this form factor are quite general and they are found in many shapes. Most of the metal detectors are not programmed to identify every coin-size object and then an enamel pin with common size and shape does not set off most metal detectors. Besides, enamel pins seem to be lost and forgotten by their owners that become scattered just about everywhere; therefore, it is super rare for one found without a companion. Whether an enamel pin will trigger a metal detector will depend on various aspects such as the type of metal used in the pin, the size of the pin, and the sensitivity level of the detector. Most enamel pins are made from metal, for instance, iron, brass, or zinc alloy, all which are conductive metals and may therefore set off a metal detector. That notwithstanding, most often, it is highly unlikely that an individual’s enamel pins would be detected by a metal detector simply because of their tiny size unless by an extremely sensitive detector. Soft Enamel Pins and Metal Detectors Cash your metal pin is made from iron or zinc alloy, which are very conductive metals, and maybe that could set off the metal detector at the checkpoint. However, they are so small and very light, which normally would give them away only at a quite high sensitivity level of a metal detector, so it’s not common. In general, people with soft enamel pins will walk through normal metal detectors like those in airports without the detector triggering. All hard enamel pins will be detected using our metal detectors. In addition, metal bases supporting hard enamel pins can be brass or iron and filled with enamel paint. Comparatively, the hard enamel pins are of small size and weight available under metal detectors, unlike the situation with soft enamel pins. Thus, because the hard enamel pins are polished flat, they might possess a bit more metal content vis-a-vis soft enamel pins and hence may be more easily detectable. Be it as it may, the difference is negligible, and most hard enamel pins will easily pass through metal detectors. Wearing enamel pins through security is pretty easy since they are worn on your clothing. No need to remove them from your bags because they can just walk through the scanner with the rest of your belongings. While there are still steps that someone might take in order to minimize the risk of your enamel pins causing metal detectors to be set off, its true concern is for the overall safety of your enamel pins. For one, you may wish to simply take out your pins when you're going through security and place them in a bin along with the rest of your things. This way, when they get to the security check, your pins will have been removed from the others, causing less of a chance that the alarm will go off. Or you could attach them to a bag or coat that is going to be taken off before entering into the detector; then, in this case, you will be allowed to sport your pins without fear of setting off the alarms. Alternatively, one may pack enamel pins in hand baggage or hold baggage; this is the best solution for a large number of pins that one may fear losing at the security check, or in case one has an extra valuable collection. Be sure to pack the pins securely so they do not get damaged in transit. You can take along a small pin display case or pin them up in a padded pouch. Conclusion This therefore means that enamel pins no matter if they are custom soft enamel pins are metallic and could easily trigger off the metal detectors but in reality, it is minimal because they are tiny little pieces and they are made of not so high quality metal. People should not generally have issues regarding wearing or bringing enamel pins with them. Nevertheless, in case you are worried that you may trigger the alarms, be prudent by taking simple steps like taking off your pins before going through the detector or stashing them with your luggage. All in all enamel pins are fun fashion accessories that can be worn without all that unfounded trouble.