Custom Antique Sandblasted Pins, Vintage Finish

Custom antique sandblasted pins for brands, bands, and creators whose aesthetic leans vintage, rustic, military, or hand-crafted rather than polished and modern. Sandblasting gives the metal surface a textured, aged look that pairs especially well with antique gold, antique silver, antique copper, and antique bronze plating. Ink fills sit recessed in soft-enamel style below the textured metal lines, giving the pin both visible texture and color depth.

Alchemy is a production partner built by artists, musicians, and brand owners. We've helped creators produce over 5 million custom products since 2019, and we don't operate like a promotional products company. Whether you're an indie illustrator running your first 50-piece drop, a band making merch for a tour, or a designer ordering for a brand launch, our job is the same: make the best merch we can for you.

What sandblasting actually does

After the mold is stamped and the pin is shaped, the factory blasts the metal surface with fine abrasive media before plating. This creates a textured matte finish that catches light differently than polished metal does — the surface looks slightly worn, the way real antique medals and old military pins look. When paired with antique plating finishes (gold, silver, copper, bronze), the sandblasted texture amplifies the aged look and reads as a real vintage object rather than a brand-new pin pretending to be old.

The base construction is soft enamel — colored ink fills sit recessed below raised metal lines you can feel under your thumb. The combination of soft enamel texture plus sandblasted matte metal creates a tactile, dimensional pin with significantly more visible craft than a polished hard enamel finish.

Specialty options

• Specialty inks: Glitter enamel and glow-in-the-dark inks both work with sandblasted construction. Adds extra cost but pairs well with the vintage aesthetic.
• Free epoxy coating: Optional smooth clear coat over the printed top. Adds durability and a slight hard-enamel-like sheen while keeping the sandblasted metal texture below visible.
• Complex die-cast: Pins larger than 2" use a complex die-cast process for precise sculpted shapes. Adds cost but unlocks larger and more detailed designs.

What you get

• Construction: Soft enamel with sandblasted metal finish
• Plating options: Antique gold, antique silver, antique copper, antique bronze (the most common pairings) plus standard plating finishes
• Custom mold creation included in the price
• Free epoxy coating available on request
• Express shipping included

Other pin styles we make

• Standard soft enamel pins — same enamel construction without the sandblasted texture; more economical for non-vintage aesthetics
• Hard enamel pins — buffed flush surface, smooth jewelry-quality finish
• UV printed pins — full-color photo-realistic art directly on metal

How a run actually works

Most orders start with a quote, not a cart. You send us your artwork, and we come back with pricing, a production timeline, and any production notes within a business day or two. We'll flag anything in the file that won't translate well at production size before we move forward.

From proof approval, most overseas products are about a month to your door. That's the nature of producing 100% custom merchandise overseas vs. shipping a stock promotional item. Shipping is express and included in the price.

If you have a hard deadline, tell us before you order. We don't charge rush fees. We'll either confirm we can hit your date or tell you up front that we can't, so you can plan around it.

Why our minimum is 50

It's a factory math thing, not a quality stance. The factories we work with charge a labor minimum that covers setup, mold use, proofing, and the production run itself. That floor barely changes between a 25-piece and a 50-piece order, so a 25-piece run costs almost the same as 50 with half the output. 50 is where the per-piece price actually starts to make sense.

We can run smaller hard sample runs if you really need to (the factory will do it), but it's not financially viable for most people: you're paying close to 50-piece pricing for a fraction of the output. If you're set on a small run, email us first and we'll walk through whether it's worth it. Larger runs (100, 200, and up) bring the per-piece cost down meaningfully.

Who we work with

Artists running their own work: illustrators, bands, indie brand owners, podcasters, comic creators, convention sellers. Designers ordering for a brand launch, an event, a campaign, or a customer giveaway. Agencies and design studios producing merch for their clients. Merch companies running production for the artists they represent. The common thread is that the merch matters: it's representing a brand, a band, an artist, or a project that someone cares about.

What you get with Alchemy

• 5+ million products produced for creators and brands since 2019.
• 100% money-back guarantee. If it's not right, we remake it at no cost or refund you in full.
• Prop 65 compliant on metal-and-enamel work, tested for lead and phthalates.
• Long-standing factory relationships. We've been working with the same vetted overseas factories for years. Consistent quality, predictable timelines, no chasing the lowest quote at the cost of the product.
• Quality good enough for licensed brands. We've produced merch for officially licensed properties and large brands.
• A team of artists, musicians, and brand owners. Not customer-service reps trained on a script.

Common questions

What's the difference between antique sandblasted and standard soft enamel?

Both are soft enamel construction. The difference is the metal finish: standard soft enamel uses polished or matte metal as the surface; antique sandblasted uses textured matte metal with a vintage-aged appearance. The sandblasted version reads more like a real antique object; the standard version reads as a clean modern pin.

Can I do specialty inks?

Yes. Glitter enamel, glow-in-the-dark inks, and pearl inks all work with sandblasted construction. Specialty inks add cost; email us for an exact quote on your specific design.

Is the epoxy coating free?

Yes. The optional epoxy coating is free on antique sandblasted pins (same as our standard soft enamel). It adds a smooth clear top that protects specialty inks and gives the pin a slight hard-enamel-like sheen while keeping the textured metal visible below.

How long do antique sandblasted pins take?

About four weeks from proof approval to your door, including express shipping. Same timeline as standard soft enamel pins. No rush fees.

Do I see a proof before production?

Yes. Digital proof for review before production is scheduled. Revisions until you approve.

Are these made in the USA?

Antique sandblasted pins are produced overseas at long-vetted factories. Our team is US-based and handles file prep, proofing, and customer success. Our wooden products and stickers are made in the USA.

Start a quote

Send us your artwork and a rough quantity, and we'll come back with pricing and a timeline within a business day or two. Not sure if your file will work? Send what you have. We'll tell you what we'd need to make it production-ready. Start a quote.

Design Templates

Set up your artwork at the correct size with proper bleed and safe zones using our production templates. Vector files (PDF/AI/EPS) are preferred for clean lines and scaling; raster (PSD) works for full-color artwork at 300dpi.

• Procreate Pin TemplateSet (Vector + Raster bundle)
• 80x54mm Pin Backing Card (Raster PSD)
• 75x100mm Pin Backing Card (Raster PSD)