Push Pins

Standard push pins

Any type of attaching device is an essential component of office supplies that help workers organize material, alert them to upcoming appointments or deadlines, or simply personalize their own space. Dome-shape metal thumbtacks are the traditional product for pinning material to a variety of surfaces. Push pins take the traditional one step further with a knob-shape plastic or aluminum pin head that tapers out to a larger collar for thumb and index finger control, which is attached to a tempered-steel shaft. The heads are usually a 0.25 or 0.5 inches in diameter, and the shafts are generally 0.375 or 0.625 inches long. The cylindrical shaft ends in a three or four-sided chiseled point. The design makes the pins safe to handle and comfortable to insert and remove, while also serving to keep material attached securely.

Specialty pins and thumbtacks

Some alternative designs to the standard plastic and aluminum push pin are available, including units with a distinctive hourglass shape and those that come with all-wood or rubber heads. Some products have magnetic tips so they can be used on steel-core dry-erase boards. Specialty pins and tacks include those used as indicator markers, to designate points on maps or charts. Many of these have round, 0.125-inch heads with 0.312-inch steel shafts. Other specialty pins include 0.688-inch shaft T-pins for crafts, clothing, jewelry, and hobby applications.

Pins and tacks come in many colors

Pins with clear heads are perhaps the most recognizable, but like other attachment devices, including small binder clips, push pins come in a full array of colors, not only for functional purposes like organizing and categorizing bulletin-board or cubicle-wall notes and memos, but also for personal tastes. In fact, many cute push pins are available to reflect personal styling, including such eclectic colors as the following:

• Baby pink
• Fuchsia pink
• Chocolate brown
• Rose gold
• Translucent gemstone

In addition, as with products like rubber bands, assorted varieties of pins in vibrant red, yellow, purple, blue, green, orange, silver, and gold come in large packages of 200, 500, or 900 pieces. Many come in handy containers so you can keep the pins organized safely on desktops or in desk drawers.