Safety pins are fine.

yes they have some sort of residue on them. some of them were leaving marks like a little grey dot where the pin went in. I started rubbing them with my fingers before I put them in. I hope the little marks where the other pins went in will come out. I had to get the quilt up off the floor last night i was pinning till 2:30 am LOL wow i'm tired today

Another reason why I have switched to spray basting 505.

Sounds like maybe they are dirty or have a coating of lubricant or oil to keep them shiny? Pin one in a scrap of fabric and try to remove the mark. If a little soap and water takes it out, then it will probably come out when you wash the quilt. In this heat and humidity I would be watching to make sure they don't leave rust spots. Now rust spots are REALLY hard to remove!

I use regular safety pins all of the time. I do check for any rust spots before using them, but haven't found any yet :D:D:D

They're the same thing except that the "quilting" pins are curved. If you would like, PM me your address and I'll send you some "quilting" pins, because I absolutely hate them, I'll be glad to get rid of them.