Glass Head Pins vs Safety Pins: Which to Keep at Your Machine
By Les Tissées – Curated Fashion Fabrics | Published: 2026-11-04
Category: Vergleiche
Glass head pins and steel safety pins do different jobs at the sewing machine. Compare fine 0.60 mm shafts with assorted carbon steel pins and pick the right one per task.
Quick answer
Keep fine glass head pins at the machine for holding seams, appliqué, and delicate fabric, and keep steel safety pins nearby for basting quilts and bundling cut pieces. They are not substitutes: the glass head pin pierces precisely, while the safety pin secures bulk without a sharp point exposed.
Why shaft diameter decides where each pin belongs
The BOHIN Extra-Fine Glass Head Pins use a 0.60 mm hardened nickel-plated steel shaft, which is thin enough to slip through fine fabric with less visible hole marking than a thicker pin. That matters most on lightweight wovens, appliqué edges, and patchwork seams where you want the pin to hold without distorting the seam line.
Safety pins are not sized by shaft diameter in the supplied catalog; the MILWARD assortment is described by length instead (19 mm to 38 mm). That makes them a bulk-holding tool rather than a precision marking tool. Use them where the job is to keep layers together, not to place a seam exactly.
Heat resistance and the ironing board
The BOHIN pins have heat-resistant coloured glass heads, so they can stay in place when you press near a seam without the head melting onto the fabric. That is a practical advantage at the machine, where you often pin, sew, and press in quick succession.
The MILWARD safety pins are carbon steel with no heat-resistance claim in the supplied facts. Treat them as a holding tool you remove before pressing, especially on light-coloured fabric where any metal marking would show.
Where the safety pin wins
Safety pins close, so they do not leave an open sharp point near your hands or your machine bed. For basting a quilt sandwich, grouping cut pattern pieces, or threading a drawstring, that closed loop is safer and more secure than an open pin.
The MILWARD jar contains 50 pins across five sizes (19, 23, 27, 34, and 38 mm, 10 pieces each) in black, gold, or silver, with a matching colour lid. Having several lengths in one jar lets you match pin size to the thickness of the bundle rather than forcing one length everywhere.
Trade-offs to weigh before you buy
- Precision vs bulk holding: Choose the glass head pin when the seam line must be exact, such as setting in a sleeve or matching patchwork points. Choose the safety pin when the goal is to keep a stack or quilt sandwich together until stitching. If you only buy one, buy the glass head pins; add safety pins when basting or bundling becomes part of your routine.
- Sharp point vs closed loop: The glass head pin has an exposed sharp point, so keep a magnetic dish or cushion at the machine and never leave loose pins on the bed. The safety pin closes, which is safer around children, pets, and fabric you handle repeatedly.
- Pressing and heat: Glass heads tolerate heat, so pinned seams can be pressed without removing every pin. Carbon steel safety pins have no heat-resistance claim, so remove them before the iron. Label or separate your safety pins if you routinely press pinned work.
- Colour and size organisation: The BOHIN pack gives 40 pins in assorted head colours; the MILWARD jar gives 50 safety pins in one chosen colour across five lengths. Colour helps identify pin type at a glance, while length helps match the pin to the thickness of the hold.
Product facts at a glance
- BOHIN Extra-Fine Glass Head Pins | Assorted Colours | 40 Pins | Made in France: Extra-fine 0.60 mm shaft, 30 mm length, 40 pins per pack, heat-resistant coloured glass heads, made in France. The thin shaft and glass head suit precise seam holding and pressing near the machine, where a thicker pin or plastic head would get in the way.
BOHIN Extra-Fine Glass Head Pins | Assorted Colours | 40 Pins | Made in France - MILWARD | Assorted Steel Safety Pins: Assorted carbon steel safety pins in five lengths from 19 mm to 38 mm, 10 pieces each, 50 per glass jar in black, gold, or silver. The range of lengths and closed design make this jar useful for basting, bundling, and temporary holds where an open pin would be risky or awkward.
MILWARD | Assorted Steel Safety Pins
Which should you keep at your machine?
Best for
- Garment sewists pinning fine or delicate fabric who need a thin 0.60 mm shaft
- Quilters and appliqué sewers who press near pinned seams and want heat-resistant glass heads
- Anyone who wants a precise pin for patchwork points and seam matching
Not for
- Basting a quilt sandwich or bundling cut pieces, where a closed safety pin holds bulk more securely
- Households where an exposed sharp point near the machine is a concern
- Sewists who need many pin lengths in one container rather than a single 30 mm pin
