How to Display and Care for Your Warframe Enamel Pins

Quick answer

Keep your Warframe pins out of direct sunlight, mount them on a fabric board or cork-backed canvas, and secure each one with a locking pin back rather than the standard butterfly clutch. Clean soft enamel with a dry microfiber cloth only, and store spares in a felt-lined box with the posts upright so they do not bend.

Enamel pins are small, but they take more abuse than almost anything else in a merch collection. They get pinned to backpacks, tossed in drawers, and rubbed against keys and zippers. A little routine care keeps the enamel from chipping and the metal from dulling.

The steps below cover the full cycle: choosing where to display your pins, mounting them safely, handling the backs, cleaning soft enamel, and storing the ones that are not on display. Each step includes the mistake that causes most pin damage so you can skip it.

Start with the right display surface

The best Warframe pin board is one you can actually pin into. Cork-backed canvas, felt-covered foam board, and thick linen fabric all hold a pin post without tearing. Avoid plain paper, thin cardboard, and bare cork, because they crumble and leave the post loose. A framed shadow box works well if you want the collection visible but protected.

Size your board to your collection before you buy it. Pins like the On-lyne Pin and Roathe Floof Pin are 1.75 inches across, so a 12x12 inch board fits roughly 20 to 25 pins with breathing room. Crowding pins so their edges touch is the fastest way to scratch soft enamel.

• Measure your largest pin first, then leave at least half an inch between pins.
• Keep the board out of direct sunlight; UV fades enamel color over time.
• Hang the board on an interior wall, away from heaters and damp bathrooms.

Mount pins without stressing the post

Push the pin straight into the fabric until the post is fully through, then attach the back from behind. Angling the pin or forcing it sideways bends the post at the base, which is the most common permanent damage. If the fabric is stiff, make a small starter hole with a pushpin first.

For pins you wear often, swap the standard butterfly clutch for a locking rubber or metal back. Locking backs grip the post harder, so the pin survives a backpack strap or jacket lapel. Keep the original clutch in a small bag so you can return the pin to its factory setup if you ever trade or sell it.

• Never hammer or force a pin into a hard surface; use a starter hole.
• Check the back is seated flat against the fabric, not floating on the post.
• Rotate which pins you wear so no single post takes all the stress.

Clean soft enamel the gentle way

Soft enamel has recessed color filled between raised metal lines, so grit collects in the grooves. Wipe the face with a dry microfiber cloth, then use a soft dry brush to lift dust out of the recesses. Do not soak pins in water, and do not use alcohol, acetone, or jewelry polish, because those strip the clear coat and dull the plating.

For fingerprints or light smudges, breathe on the enamel and wipe immediately with the microfiber. If a pin has visible grime in the recesses, a barely damp cloth is the limit; dry it right away so moisture never sits against the metal.

• Clean one pin at a time so you do not lose backs in the process.
• Skip ultrasonic cleaners and abrasive pads entirely.
• Dry immediately if any moisture touches the metal edge.

Store the rest of the collection safely

Pins not on display should be stored flat, face up, with the posts pointing up so nothing presses on them. A felt-lined jewelry tray, a pin binder with foam pages, or a divided craft box all work. Stacking loose pins in a jar scratches enamel and bends posts, so avoid it even for duplicates.

Keep stored pins in a dry room. Humidity is the enemy of the metal plating, and a bathroom or basement drawer will dull a pin faster than normal wear. If you live in a humid climate, add a small silica packet to the storage box and replace it every few months.

• Store pins face up, never face down on a hard surface.
• Keep each pin's back attached so it does not go missing.
• Label limited pins so you know which ones need careful handling.

Your pin care routine, step by step

1. Step 1: Pick a protected display spot: Choose an interior wall away from windows, heaters, and moisture. Mount a cork-backed or felt-covered board at eye level so you can add and remove pins without pulling. Checkpoint: if the board flexes when you press a pin in, it is too thin.
2. Step 2: Mount each pin straight and spaced: Push the post in perpendicular to the board, leave at least half an inch between pins, and seat the back flat against the fabric. Checkpoint: a wobbly pin means a bent post, so straighten it before it snaps.
3. Step 3: Upgrade the backs on pins you wear: Replace butterfly clutches with locking backs on any pin that travels on a bag or jacket, and keep the originals in a labeled bag. Checkpoint: tug gently on the pin; if the back slips, it will fall off in public.
4. Step 4: Dust and wipe on a schedule: Once a month, wipe each pin with a dry microfiber cloth and clear the recesses with a soft dry brush. Never use liquid cleaners on soft enamel. Checkpoint: if the cloth picks up color, stop; you are rubbing too hard.
5. Step 5: Store the rest flat and dry: Keep off-display pins face up in a felt-lined tray or binder, posts upright, with a silica packet in humid rooms. Checkpoint: any pin stored face down on a hard surface is at risk of enamel scratches.

Pins in the store worth planning around

• On-lyne Pin: 1.75 inch soft enamel pin with a soft enamel finish, priced at USD 7.50. The 1.75 inch size is the standard for this line, so a board with half-inch gaps fits roughly 20 to 25 of them per square foot.
• Roathe Floof Pin: 1.75 inch soft enamel pin, priced at USD 7.50. Same dimensions as the On-lyne Pin, so you can plan a mixed display without remeasuring for each design.
• True Master Emblem Pin: Approximately 2 inches (5 cm) and limited to one purchase per account for Mastery Rank 30 and Legendary Rank players. At 2 inches it is larger than the standard pins, so give it extra clearance and treat it as a centerpiece rather than a filler pin.

A Warframe pin collection stays sharp with a few habits: a fabric-backed board, straight mounting, locking backs on the pins you wear, dry cleaning only, and flat storage for the rest. Do that, and your pins will keep their color and their posts for years of conventions, backpacks, and shelf displays.