Silver Paw Durabilty and Quality Versus Other Tags

Many of you have done a lot of research trying to make the right buying decision for your dog's new id tag. It's hard to know whose website to believe when it comes to engraving durability, tag durability, tag material, customer service, and quality of product.

Addressing these one at a time, tag durability has to do with thickness of material and composition of material. Whatever you do, stay away from soft metals (aluminum, brass, copper, nickel, pewter) and plated metals. They do not last. The use of thick stainless steel or titanium, and by that I mean an 1/8" (or two quarters stuck together) with a loop that is just as thick, translates into a lifetime (yours and theirs) tag. Red Dingo,  Silver Paw Pet Tags, Dog ID's, Mega Tags, Boomerang Tags, and The Sterling Pet are the major companies offering tags using these metals. Red Dingo, Silver Paw, and Mega Tags have the greatest thicknesses.

Not all stainless steels are created equal. Silver Paw uses something called Duplex 2205 which was developed in the 1960's for the offshore oil industry. It has TWICE the hardness and non corrosive properties as 316, 304, etc. stainless steels.  It is also very close to the hardness of titanium. Silver Paw is the ONLY company using this stainless alloy. That means that our tags hold onto the engraving lines routed into them, instead of fading after your tag has been worn awhile, more than any other company's stainless tag.

Engraving is a tricky thing, especially engraving into a VERY hard metal. Most companies use stamping, rotary engraving, or laser engraving on their tags. Stamping has a more primitive look to it and is done by Boomerang tags quite a bit. It holds, but is not terribly attractive, usually done on a blank of metal coming out of China, with no adornment or design incorporated.

Engraving can also be done using a rotary machine that routes out metal in the lines of engraving. If it is done deeply, it will last for a while. Red Dingo, Silver Paw, and many other tag companies use this method. Dogs who are really active and wear other tags with their id tag, can eventually wear out their engraving, NO MATTER HOW DEEP or by WHAT METHOD it is done. Tag companies offering a "lifetime guarantee" on their product, should agree to take a tag back and re-engrave it, or replace it free of charge. Usually these tags are thin and cheaply made in China, so it's easy for them to just issue you another tag, if they are reputable.

If a Silver Paw tag engraving fades, we just regrind the tag, polish, and engrave it again, free of charge. Often people send their tags back to get phone numbers, addresses, etc. changed. No problem! There are no other tag companies offering that service because it's not economical for them.

Laser engraving is being done by Dog Id's, The Sterling Pet, and several others. It is a good engraving solution when it is deep, however, most laser machines only mark the surface lightly. The type of laser used must be a "fiber pulse" to get really deep on hard metal. Laser engraving has come a long way in a short period of time. Purchasing a DEEP laser engraving machine is VERY expensive. Most laser engravers only barely mark the surface of the metal and will not last on a dog. The engraving must be done with a fiber pulse laser which can get deeply, hardened, black lines embedded into a metal surface. Fiber laser engraving is such a new technology that the jury is still out on how it hold up around a dogs neck. My guess is as well if not better than a rotary style engraving.

Silver Paw does not incorporate this style of engraving yet, but we do offer a finer, more unique, jewelry-like tag, engraved deeply, that holds up better when compared to all others. Our materials and design can't be beat and that goes for our backing of a lifetime guarantee on engraving so you won't ever have to worry about fading down the line or wondering what you will do if your address or phone changes.

We manufacture our own tags here in Maine, USA.  Red Dingo tags are manufactured in China and thus can offer a lower price on their tags, which aren't made of stainless that is as tough as ours. The Sterling Pet and Dog Id's offer very ordinary blanks of metal which are very inexpensive to produce.  They also can't be re-engraved if your address or phone changes.

Lastly, pay close attention to reviews on customer service. The more reviews, the better. You need a company with good, fast communication and delivery, as well as one that stands behind their lifetime guarantee with a smile!

When making your buying decision, be well informed, knowledgeable, and weigh out costs. Will you be replacing your dog's tag four, five, six or more times during their life span? An inexpensive tag at $10 will eventually lead to several at a total cost of up to $50-$60 dollars or more and will look rather jaded very quickly after the purchase! Spend $30 and get a tag you will have for the life of your dog that looks as good as when you bought it, so much so, that you will want to adopt is as a keychain or memorial piece of jewelry for yourself.  Silver Paw tags offer extreme value for your dollar. They are an investment in your dog's good looks and safety. Time and time again our customers say they are worth the cost and then some.

I know I am certainly biased in having written this blog post, but I am also knowledgeable, honest, and aware of the products and competition out there. Before Silver Paw tags came along there were not a lot of tag companies talking about durability, only Red Dingo. Our tags are influencing the rest of the market to become more responsible in the area of durability and design

and we are proud of that!

www.silverpawtags.com

M. K. Clinton: Silver Paw Pet Tags

M. K. Clinton: Silver Paw Pet Tags:    Karen from Silver Paw Pet Tags recently contacted me.  She asked if I’d like to receive one of their fantastic silver dog tags for...

Greetings From Maine!

Well…it’s been a heck of a winter for everyone this year. Our snowbanks reached up over our windows, higher than they’ve been for quite a while. Cold temps and lots of ice and snow brought us to our knees and our buts in a way that gave new meaning to Winter in Maine. 

The good news is that we are melting, and melting slowly, which is good. We’ve still got some impressive snow banks which we won’t say goodbye to for several weeks to come, but that’s OK because it’s in the 30’s and 40’s and feels like a heat wave.

Mud season in all its soggy, gloppy, glumpy glory reminds us that Winter is a thing of the past. Halleluyah! The birds are returning. Bears, raccoons, and skunks are waking up. Life is good. Ruby and Jet can move again without having to navigate huge snow banks and three feet of snow, stretching their legs for a romp in the woods and checking out all those springtime smells.

We hope you have all survived this winter and are lifted up with the entrance of a promising Spring and some new beginnings. Speaking of beginnings, our Silver Paw Tags website has just received a major facelift that we want you to know about. Our new layout streamlines the ordering process and makes it easier to find everything you want and need to know about our tags. We’ve got lots of info to share and hope you’’ll check out our new appearance. Don't miss our incredible Silver Paw Tags video showing how our tags are made!

Spring time is the perfect time to double check your pet’s id tag to make sure the writing is legible. A standout id tag is the best way to ensure your best friend will be returned home safely! All the best to you, our awesome customers.

Happy Spring!

www.silverpawtags.com

Stainless Steel Alloys and Pet ID Tags: Not All The Same

If you have already figured out that stainless steel is the way to go when shopping for a durable pet tag, than you are ahead of the game as a consumer!
What you may not know, is that all stainless steels are not equal in their durability characteristics...

The typical stainless steels used in jewelry and watch making are of the 316 series of stainless alloys. Pet ID tag blanks (thin stainless stamped out shapes) are also made out of 316 stainless steel. Indeed almost all of the stainless steel id tags available on the market today are made from this alloy. It is cheap, available, and comprises 70% of the market.

Silver Paw Tags are made form an alloy called duplex 2205. It was developed in the mid 1970's amidst advancements in vacuum and decarbonization processes in the stainless industry. These advancements coincided with the advancement of the offshore oil industry which required a stainless steel that could handle aggressive environments.

Duplex 2205 is a combination of 300(austentic) and 400(ferritic) series stainless steels. It has characteristics of both which make it a superior alloy, especially when hanging around a dog's neck. It is twice as hard as a 316 stainless alloy. This means that it will wear that much better when swinging back and forth with other tags. It also has a much higher non-corrosion factor than 316 alloys. This means that it will stay bright forever and not blacken your dog's coat!

Finding this alloy and using it in our castings has meant the world to us and separates our product from the rest. It is a much more difficult material to get highly polished because it is so hard. We think the extra work is worth the effort as measured in the performance of our product!

Visit us at www.silverpawtags.com for your next pet id tag!

Run Free Fergus....

I just got done shipping a special Heart Keychain to a woman who asked for it to be inscribed with "Fergus", "Run Free Sweet Boy", "You are Loved", "12-4-2013".

I was taken by the inscription and saddened by the loss. The next day I received an email from the woman who ordered it, with the following story...


"Fergus was a terrified basset hound who came to our rescue last weekend. He got away from his foster almost immediately, and was on the run for 3 days. I got a text message in the middle of the night from someone who saw "a dog" get hit and was in the road... I rushed over around 6am and found Fergus. That was the first time I had even seen him in person and he had already passed.

I adopted him so that he could have a last name before crossing the Rainbow Bridge, and I am giving his ashes and the keychain to one of our transport drivers who spent a night with him on his trip to Minnesota... she is absolutely devastated at Fergus's passing and I know she will love the keychain. I looked at a lot of different websites, and you had just what I was looking for!"

I'm just so touched by this story of caring and compassion. I can't even put words to it. I don't know if Fergus had any identification on his collar when he ran off, but it made me think of the importance of having a tag on newly adopted and fostered dogs BEFORE they leave an agency. 

PLEASE, PLEASE put identification on your dog as soon as they become yours :-)! 

Have You Checked Your Dog's ID Tags Lately?

Busy, busy, busy...aren't we all these days, especially as the holidays approach. Life can get pretty hectic and it's easy to forget about the little things, the ones you take for granted.
When it comes to our pups, we remember to buy dog food, order and apply heart worm preventative , flea and tick preventative, joint supplements, clip nails, etc., etc. The list goes on and on.
I'm going to add one more item to the to do list, and that's double check your dog's identification information on his or her pet tag. All that jingling is to no avail if your dog has an unreadable tag. The chances of that tag being unreadable, even after a short period of wear, increase greatly if your dog is active and your tag is made out of aluminum, brass, nickel, plastic, copper, or pewter.
Active dogs give all pet tags a run for the money. There isn't another application out there that could destroy a dog id tag faster than an active dog. Even a train running over a tag won't harm an id tag the same way a dog does!
Now, I can hear some of you thinking, well, my dog is microchipped. That is excellent and important insurance if your dog is lost but not as considerate to the finder as a readable id tag. Dialing a phone number that someone answers is the easiest way for a finder to get your dog returned to you with a minimal amount of energy expended. As a responsible dog owner, you owe it to your dog and a potential good samaritan to make it as easy as possible for them to read a tag and dial a phone number.
So, don't forget to check your tags and replace them asap when they need it. Lost dogs don't tell us they're going to get lost before they disappear!

www.silverpawtags.com

Casting A Silver Paw Pet Tag: The Lost Wax Foundry Process In Maine

We cast our very own ID tags at this foundry here in western Maine. As you can see from the video, it is a very labor intensive process involving many steps. We're so proud to be keeping our operations here in the US. This foundry supports some 20 employees who all take their jobs very seriously and do a detail oriented, quality job.

Every one of our tags is handled over and over again at the casting facility and inspected several times before they are brought to the Silver Paw shop for finishing and engraving. There are many reject castings.

We extend a sincere thanks to New England Castings for allowing us in to shoot the footage for this video. The casting environment is one fraught with hazards, noise, and heavy equipment. We were privileged to be allowed into the normal workings of a foundry, whose workplace we surely interrupted...

www.silverpawtags.com