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Who made my badge?
Three important reasons to know your badge manufacturer. Looking for the badge hallmark is your first step.
You received a new badge on the day of your pinning ceremony. Your family and friends celebrated the culmination of your hard work and training, and your badge symbolizes your commitment. While you are thinking about your new career in public service and the responsibilities that come with it, the question of who made your badge most likely never crossed your mind. There are a few practical reasons why you need to know who manufactured your badge, and this article will go over those reasons.
Plus, there is a company behind the design and manufacturing of your badge. At Smith & Warren, we are as proud of that badge as you are! Each USA-made badge has a unique “hallmark” on the back of the badge or the wallet clip attachment. Turn your badge over. Do you see the hallmark?
What is a hallmark, and where is it on a badge?
A hallmark is “a visual queue” showing which person or company made a product. It is similar to a trademark, but a hallmark is particular to hand-made or manufactured metal items. At Smith & Warren, our hallmark says Smith & Warren on top of a circle with our initials.
Why Knowing Your Badge's Maker Matters.
We think there are three important reasons to know who made your badge. At some point in your career, you will need to reorder a badge, purchase badge accessories, or repair a badge.
- Individual and Department Badge Reorders The first reason you might need to know who made your badge is for reorders. New hires and promotions are happy occasions for departmental reorders, so knowing your badge manufacturer is important for easy, timely, and consistent reorders. On a personal level, you might want one pristine badge for your dress uniform but don’t know your badge model or which dealer your department uses.
- Purchasing Badge Accessories To purchase the correct badge wallets and holders, you will need to know the make and model of your badge so that it fits properly in your leather accessory. If you know your dealer, they will be able to pull up your department badge order to identify the make and model, but often, they will ask you to send a photo of the front and back of your badge to confirm.
- Badge Repairs Your shirt badge, or duty badge, is the badge you use every single day, and, at some point, it might need a repair. If your manufacturer offers a full lifetime warranty and repair program, as we do at Smith & Warren, you will send your badge to the factory that made it. We will ask you to upload a front and back image of your badge just to make sure it is a Smith & Warren badge.
Watch how badges are made in our USA factory.
At Smith & Warren, we feature how badges are made on all of our social media channels. We think you might find it interesting to watch badges being made at our New York factory. Our videos tell a “Made in the USA” manufacturing story as we show badge journeys from start to finish in the factory. Watching the detailed finishing work on a die, a brass badge getting stamped, or the meticulous application of enamel to a badge will open your eyes to the craftsmanship involved.
Like and follow us on our channels! If you have questions about who made your badge, check for a hallmark or just contact us. We will help you figure out who made your badge.
