who makes headbadges?
 

When i was new to cycling i jumped into finding a frameset that i loved....i tore it down, cleaned it, stripped the paint and then had it powder coated. I built it back up with nice components and then found out it was too big for me. What an idiot.

Anyway.....i am on the hunt for another framset to do the same thing but to ultimately have it fit me this time. Not sure what i will go with yet but that is not really the point.

I am just wondering once i get that ll done and need a headbadge......where do i get one done at a fair price. $100+ for a headbadge is insane....but those are some prices i have seen. I would settle for a simpel 3d printed one from whatever that stuff is made of.....but metal would be preferred. Does anyone have any good sources for such a thing. Odd request i know....but i figured i should ask. IF anyone knows......is the bikeforums group.

Just got this resource from a frame builder: headbadges.com. Look at the level of artistry and perfection this person puts out there. Amazing. Of course, 100 bucks won't cut it for a custom headbadge.
I have used jewelers saws and it takes some serious skill to use them well and quickly. Not learned over night, but over years of practice. 100+ for a headbadge made the way this person makes them seems right to me.

I bought a personalized headbadge off etsy from Spain.
fantastic experience.
lots of good communication, I gave the OK to the drawing before it was made, and the result is excellent.

$66 shipped to the US.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mediterran...aid=0e924d1caf
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d4b3de1b09.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0ce9c7109a.jpg

Geoff Moorehouse in the UK made mine. The price was very reasonable to have a mold made and buy multiple badges. I don't know what his price is for a single headbadge.

https://www.facebook.com/headbadgeUK/

There is an outfit in Rhode Island that makes headbadges for Rivendell and some independent custom builders such as Chapman Cycles. You could ask the moderator to move the thread to the Framebuilders Forum. I'm sur some one there knows.

A simple decal can compliment an artistic frame. I have a 50 year old frame built by the classic British builder WB Hurlow who is known for his ornate lug work. When asked why he used a decal for the head rather than an ornate badge, he replied with his cockney accent "I put me work into the frame, not onto it!"

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7ad7b063bb.jpg

photo courtesy of W B Hurlow classic bicycle

Here's mine still in need of a badge...

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...67958edb88.jpg

Not sure what all goes into a headbadge, but knowing that if something is 'custom' and for a bicycle, it'll be overpriced.. I'd maybe suggest googling and contacting a custom belt buckle maker. good luck!

A thread on someone making their own headbadge https://www.bikeforums.net/framebuil...-creation.html

including some artisanal metalworking techniques..

Hope you're ready for your monocle to pop out when you see how much a custom belt buckle can cost.

Ultimately, for the OP, you get what you are willing to pay for--a craftsman/woman making a complicated design from precious/semi precious metals will cost. A simple sheet-style badge with no etching/carving, less so.

you can get shapeways to make you a headbadge out of brass, bronze, silver, gold plated brass, or platinum. they 3d print the design and then cast it in metal.

I have been wondering how hard it is to go to the company that Chapman uses, it's a local RI company that makes badges of all kinds. It's Hook-fast https://www.hookfast.com/index.aspx
I doubt that a one-off is economic to get from them though, somebody try it and tell us.

$100 for a custom one-off badge seems very reasonable to me. How much time to design? How much time to fabricate? Time communicating with buyer regarding design, time to package and ship, and on and on. How many hours involved for one piece?

You need someone with the expertise/skill to do the design and have the equipment / skills to make the part. You should also expect that person to charge a reasonable amount for their time.

With a Jewelers hacksaw frame , and a bunch of blades ( they break easily ) you too can create a piece of sheet metal cut into quite intricate designs..









.....

It's outrageously cheap. Even Jen Green's $175 is cheap. I don't want to spend that much on mine, that's the only thing stopping me.

OTOH, I have wasted a lot of time on my headbadge design. Some of it was learning a new cad program, but mostly it was spent doing stuff that was neither creative nor educational.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5779d47e2.jpeg
Not as impressive as metal but nice looks and cheap. Look for "Cycling Bicycle Bike Frame Fixed Gear Tube Alloy Head Badge Decals Stickers" on 36@y

Has anyone tried to make your own headbadge using lost wax casting? It is bronze age technology but still used. Art students or jewlery makers use it , and I see kits are available.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a87e106afb.jpg
Headbadges.com