I am well pinned! however, it has been a while since I bought new pins. I found 9 boxes in my sewing cabinet with various tops. Most are the glass bead ones, some flower head ones, and some T pins. They are in all different lengths. The cutest are the little slightly less than one inch ones I use on a small applique project. Unfortunetly, not many have an names on them. I found a couple labeled "clover" and ones I really like said "Japan" on the back. I use the big longarm pins made by handiquilter that look like old fashion hat pins on my longarm leaders.

Japan is the world leader in steel items. Better then Germany. The best quality pins are needles are made in Japan. Use to be all were so when you find old packages of needles or pins at a thrift store check to see if made in Japan. Buy them.

Well it looks like I will be shopping for new pins. I have gone to using clips a great deal of the time since my pins are getting so dull. I have another full box of pins that someone bought as a gift for me a couple years ago. I believe they came from Joann's and are regular Dritz pins. This is a very helpful thread.

I like silk pins--super fine and really sharp. My Mom called those big dull pins that always seem to creep into our pincushions, 'telephone poles'. A couple of years ago, DGDs got me a set of the numbered pins. Love them for keeping things in order between the design wall and the sewing machine but they are long and sometimes get in the way. I wonder if they come in safety pin style.

Yes~!!! I have needles from Japan and they're fabulous. And I wouldn't trade my Kai scissors for anything.

I like Clover pins too.
Not sure about the quality of all Japanese pins and needles. A few years
ago I ordered some (not cheap) Tulip needles and was very disappointed.
They were half rusty.

I hate pinning but I've finally succumbed and a good quality thin pin really does make a difference. I now use Clover Flower Head Fine Pins .45mm linked here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0181UGTJQ...hk_typ_imgToDp Let me know if the link doesn't work and I'll try again (no affiliation, just really like them). They're usually about $5 for 20 and once in awhile you get one that isn't quite as sharp as the others but goodness, they've lasted a long while for me and they're so thin they don't distort the seam.

As a former hate-to-pin-refuse-to-do-it quilter, I'm a convert now :)

Eta: the blue ones are the ones I use for piecing. Clover also makes a box of 100 flower pins that are green, pink, white, and yellow but those are a thicker shaft. I use those for bag making or anything where the fabric is stiffer or thicker.

I like the extra fine glass head pins from Dritz.

Glass head pins from Prym. I use them for my longarm and making draperies.

I just bought a box of Bohin curved safety pins size 1 1/2 inch (65 to box) and every single one of them slid into the quilt sandwich like butter! Super sharp and made in Japan. Highly recommend this brand. The last Dritz pins I bought wouldn't even go through one layer of fabric. Returned them.