I always use the long pins. Got a big box of them...yellow balls on them, makes it easier to find them in most fabrics. I ahve tried the safety pins and just do not like them. Have regular ones and the curved ones, don't like either one of them
I pin with the long ones and I do stick or at least TRY to stick the end back in a little bit. I have stuck myself numerous times, but I"m used to it by now, that I don't feel it much.