DeWalt 1-3/4 in. x 23-Gauge Pin Nail

Why these long 23‑ga pins earn a spot in my trim kit

Pins don’t get a lot of glamour, but the right ones make delicate trim work go faster and look better. I’ve been running these DeWalt 1‑3/4 in. 23‑gauge pins on a few recent jobs—crown return details, cabinet bead, tiny shoe and scribe moldings—and they’ve become my go‑to option when I need reach without visible holes. They are headless, smooth‑shank, and glue‑collated in 100‑count strips, so nothing fancy on paper. In practice, they’ve been consistent, clean, and surprisingly forgiving for the length.

What I used them for

• Crown and base returns where a micro‑head brad would leave a noticeable divot
• Attaching thin edge bead to prefinished plywood shelving
• Holding light door stop to painted jambs without visible putty work
• Securing delicate applied moldings on cabinet faces while glue cures

The 1‑3/4 in. length is the draw here. Shorter 23‑ga pins are great for tiny trims, but they sometimes don’t bite through the molding into the substrate. These longer pins reliably reach into the carcass or framing, which keeps parts aligned while the adhesive does the real holding.

Driving performance and consistency

I shot a few hundred pins across poplar, maple, oak, MDF, and prefinished birch ply using a 2 in.‑capacity pinner, mainly in the 85–100 psi range. Results:

• Straight entry: For a pin this slender and long, deflection was minimal when I stayed off knots and angled grain. In dense oak, I had a couple of wanderers near end grain—no surprise—but far fewer than I expected.
• Depth control: The pins seated just below the surface without cratering soft stock. At 90 psi, holes in poplar were barely a speck. In MDF, I backed pressure down to 80–85 psi to avoid slight fuzzing.
• Jams and doubles: None. The strips fed cleanly and broke at the glue seam without crumbling. I didn’t see any glue buildup in the nose, which sometimes happens with cheaper collations.
• Surface damage: With headless pins and a smooth-shank, the pinner’s driver leaves the only mark. I saw no bulging or raised fibers beyond what a quick pass of finish or a fingertip of filler would disguise.

The chisel point matters more than the spec sheet suggests. It helps the pin split fibers rather than wedge them apart, which reduces splitting near edges and on miter returns. You can still split brittle moldings if you’re too close to the edge, but in the same placements where micro‑head brads would risk a hairline crack, these pins behaved well.

Holding power and the invisible factor

A 23‑ga headless pin is not a structural fastener; it’s a clamp that disappears. At 1‑3/4 in., you get extra bite that stabilizes parts while glue cures or while you continue building out a profile. The holes are essentially invisible in paint‑grade work and very hard to spot under clear finish unless the light hits just right. On natural maple, I could find them only by feel. On white lacquer, they vanished after a dusting coat.

If you’re accustomed to 18‑ga brads doing most of the trim work, consider these for:

• Miter returns at the ends of crown or base cap
• Tiny applied profiles where you’d rather not be filling and sanding
• Face frames and light stops where clamps are awkward or risk shifting parts

I still switch to 18‑ga brads for heavier casing, thick baseboard, or when I need mechanical holding power into studs. But for finish‑critical, delicate pieces, these longer pins solve the “I wish a pin reached just a little farther” problem.

Compatibility and feeding

These pins are for 2 in.‑capacity 23‑ga pinners. They slid into my magazine without fuss and latched cleanly. If your pinner tops out at 1‑3/8 in. or 1‑1/2 in., check your manual before buying—length is the limiting factor here, not gauge. Each strip is 100 pins; the glue line is consistent, and the strips didn’t shatter in the field or in the bottom of my pouch. The box is compact enough to live in the pinner case, and the 2,000‑count pack lasts longer than you think because you often use fewer pins than brads on the same task.

Tips for best results

• Tune air pressure: Start around 85–90 psi and test on scrap. Harder woods may need a tick more; MDF and softwood usually benefit from a little less to avoid over‑driving.
• Mind the grain: Long, slender pins can follow grain, especially in hardwood end grain and near knots. Stay a hair back from edges, and don’t shoot directly into a knot or swirly cathedral grain.
• Let the glue work: Treat these as temporary clamps. Pin every 6–8 inches on light moldings, more frequently on springy profiles, and use a good PVA or appropriate adhesive.
• Watch your angles: A slight toe‑in helps keep the pin buried and reduces the chance of a side exit on very thin stock.
• Store smart: Keep the strips dry and out of direct sun. Glue‑collated strips can get tacky in high heat or brittle in extreme cold; room‑temp storage avoids both headaches.

Where they fall short

• Not a fix for under‑powered pinners: If your tool struggles with long pins, these won’t mask it. Long 23‑ga pins ask more of the driver.
• Limited headless holding: That’s the nature of the beast. If you need real clamping force without glue, step up to a micro‑head pin or an 18‑ga brad.
• Blowout risk on thin edges: At 1‑3/4 in., you must pay attention on tiny returns and fragile profiles. Test first and keep shots centered.

None of these are flaws unique to this box of pins—they’re realities of the fastener type and length. Within that context, these perform as well as any I’ve used and better than many off‑brand strips that jam or curl.

Value and availability

Pricing sits in line with other name‑brand 23‑ga pins, and the 2,000‑count pack is a sensible quantity for trim and cabinet work. You’re paying for consistency more than anything else: straight wire stock, uniform length, clean points, and reliable collation. That’s what reduces jams and misfires—and what you notice on a long day of attaching finicky pieces.

The bottom line

These DeWalt 1‑3/4 in. 23‑ga pins do exactly what I need long pins to do: drive straight, disappear, and hold just enough while glue cures. The chisel point minimizes splitting near edges, the glue‑collated strips feed reliably, and the added reach opens up trim details that shorter pins can’t handle cleanly. They aren’t a brute‑force solution—that’s not the job of a headless pin—but used appropriately, they make delicate finish work faster and cleaner with fewer touch‑ups.

Recommendation: I recommend these pins if you have a 2 in.‑capacity pinner and want the cleanest possible look on delicate moldings, returns, and cabinet details. They’re consistent, easy to feed, and long enough to bite into the substrate without advertising their presence on the surface. If you’re looking for maximum holding power or your pinner can’t handle longer lengths, choose an 18‑ga brad or a shorter pin instead. For finish‑critical tasks, these earn their keep.