Sterling silver brooch pins - where can I buy?

[Milomade]

I'm looking for plain and simple sturdy pins in sterling silver. I want to make some stick pins but can find any pins anywhere with pin protectors.

I don't want anything on the non-pointed end I would solder onto my little hearts. I don't want a twist in the middle (as per cooksongold) I'd just like simple plain pins.

Where can I buy some? I've googled but not found anything.

The alternative is to fashion my own as it's simple enough to taper the end of some wire but just thought you'd be able to buy pins+protector as a set from somewhere.

[china]

I have not seen them for sale but then again I have not looked, they are so simple to make yourself I don't think they would be a big seller

[Dennis]

The pins can be adapted from Cooksons brooch pins:

http://www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?channel=uk&query=Silver+brooch+pins

However once soldered onto, they will become too soft for purpose, and will have to be re-hardened by twisting. This does not show on round wire, particularly if tumbled afterwards.

The pin end protectors are here: http://www.cooksongold.com/Findings/Sterling-Silver-Pin-Protectors-Push-On-prcode-NVR-100&query=Silver%20pin%20ends&channel=uk.

But I think they just ask to be dropped and mislaid, unless you add a safety chain.

Welcome back Evie. Dennis.

[CJ57]

I'd make my own but the problem is hardening them as Dennis said. They probably don't think it's worth selling wire to solder things on, although granted they sell about everything else. I've bought the ends from Cookson I think

[Milomade]

thanks for the responses - I don't know whether I can be faffed to taper and file and smooth off loads of pins myself - getting lazy (what would be the quickest, easiest way?)
That's why I've been looking for an off the shelf solution. I did see these on Cooksons:

http://www.cooksongold.com/Findings/Sterling-Silver-Stick-Pin-47mm----Pack-of-2-prcode-NVR-120X

But they've already got a twist in them, so if after soldering I want to harden them bu twisting, then that's not going to work - so I guess I'd have to tumble. Why have these got a twist in them??

[Dennis]

But the ones I linked you to don't have twists. All you would have to do is cut off the fancy end?

[enigma]

I gave up using silver pins as they really aren't very robust.
Stainless steel works much better- thanks to Dennis for that tip a year or two ago.

[china]

Well I have learnt something today, I have never seen or used the pin protectors

[Goldsmith]

When I made stick pins I used darning needles as the pins, I soldered tubes onto the rear of the decoration and then fitted the darning needle through the tube, pin protectors will fit on darning needles.

James