Wooden Clothes Pins

[NCLee]

Received Lee Valley's early Christmas catalog yesterday. One of the items that caught my eye are their wooden clothes pins. I strongly dislike the plastic ones as they just don't hold up, IMHO. Lately the wooden ones leave a lot to be desired, too.

If you're in the market for some, you may want to take a look at these. http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=63682&cat=2,42194 I haven't tried them, yet. But, they look like the ones I remember buying years ago. Those DO hold up. Bet, some of mine are over 40 years old.

FWIW, I've been ordering from Lee Valley for years. So far, I haven't received anything that wasn't as advertised. BTW, here's something else that was in their catalog that may be of interest, too. "Whirley-Pop" stove top popcorn maker http://www.leevalley.com/gifts/page.aspx?c=2&p=64273&cat=4,104,53209&ap=1 and a reusable instant hand warmer. http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=52295&cat=2,40725,45454

Lee (No association with Lee Valley :) )

[Deberosa]

Looks like a great site - thanks!

I got a big bucket of clothespins from my old homestead. It was left there by the previous owner when I bought the place. You are right about the plastic ones! A few in the bucket are plastic but the rest are the old fashioned wooden ones that we put to good use here.

Debbie

[Genevieve]

Those are the only clothes pins I use. I'd like to find the non spring action kind too. They're hard to come by for some reason. And I bought a whirly pop at the flea market last month for $1. LOL Perfect condition.

[Teg]

Those are the only clothes pins I use. I'd like to find the non spring action kind too. They're hard to come by for some reason. And I bought a whirly pop at the flea market last month for $1. LOL Perfect condition.

Here ya go, Amazon has them for sale.
http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Clothespins-Honey-Can-Do/dp/B002CH12E2/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1256253602&sr=8-21

[bookwormom]

$17,83 is a little steep for clothespins. It does not say how many.
the dollar store used to have them for 1,75, they were made in Germany and held anything. I think they do not carry them anymore, or rather a measly replacement from China.

[Teg]

$17,83 is a little steep for clothespins. It does not say how many.

96 for $17.83

[Teg]

Was looking at the Lehman's site and found some for $4.95 a 30 pack, comes out close to the same but it is another place to look.

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Laundry___Drying___Old_Style_Wooden_C lothespins___32820318?Args=

[Pokeberry Mary]

Just thought I'd mention this. Sometimes folks in the south use the plastic because the wood ones get mildew so bad. If you put them in a solution of water and a little bit of bleach however you can brighten them right up again.

I think the wood hold more weight myself.;)

[firegirl969]

Thanks Pokeberry Mary for the advice on the solution to get rid of the mildew on the clothespins. I have that issue here in south GA.

[leera]

I have a newer style popcorn popper,and use it a few times a week! I got mine for free though.

There are newer types out there,and mine is bright PINK....but hey,it works,makes darn good popcorn.I actually ended up with two,gave one to my Mom....LOL she doesn't use it much,but whenever I want a snack when I'm there,I pull it out make some popcorn.

[leera]

I use the wooden clothes pins too,plastic ones won't hold much at all....I got a 50 pack of them at WallyWorld for $1.00.....might be worth checking out if you need some..
They are not the heavy duty ones,but they will hold up a pair of jeans just fine.

[sonshine]

I've always used the wooden ones with the spring, but they don't hold up as well as they use to (duh!). Even in humidity heaven I've never used the plastic.

Judy

[KSTDesigner]

Personally, I never liked the spring type. My favorites were the long U-Shaped, with flat ball head. They might have been a little harder on the clothes, but rarely broke in two which was usually the case with spring type. Those heavy-duty spring would probably do the trick though. Glad there's an alternative.

Ah...I can still see my mother's bucket of clothes pins...those were the days. Hope I can someday "hang the clothes out on the line" out at the ranch. And if I'm not watchful, the cows will come by and carry the laundry away down the meadow with them!

[annabella1]

mom always used the solid wood ones the ones with the springs would always get rusty and put rust spots on her clothes. Her dad whittled her 200 of them when she got married.

[*mitzy*]

I don't know how sturdy they are but you can get the non-spring pins in craft stores. They make good little people for decorations and such:yes4:

[shadowood]

I just got back from walmart were I purchased 100 of the wooden spring clothespins for $4.38. They look like they are heavy duty. I purchased some two years ago but they got left outside and got black mildew on them. I will make sure this batch gets put inside after the laundry comes down.

[NCLee]

Google "clothespin bag"
Here's an example of a cute one that's easy to make.
http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/clothespinbag.htm

When we were growing up, we didn't dare leave the pins on the line. If we did, we knew Mama would send us back to the line, as soon as she spotted them. :)

The bag went out to the line with the first load of clothes to be hung. Came back in with the last basket full of dry clothes.

Plus, using a bag makes it easier as I don't have to move a bunch of them, left on the line, when it's time to hang up a sheet.

As a side note.... One time I put up a small line beside my shop to dry shop rags. And, to evaporate solvents before putting disposing of some rags (fire hazard). Tried the short cut of leaving the pins on the line. Didn't take long for them to break. Mildew wasn't a worry in this instance. But neither wood nor especially plastic ones would hold up. Now, I keep a big peanut butter jar in the shop for those special use clothes pins. Guess you can say I learned the hardway, even though Mama taught me better.

Lee

[DM]

I remember getting into SERIOUS trouble one time when i was a kid, when i stuck the barrel of my pellet rifle out the window of the chicken coop, and shot the heads on some of mom's clothspins that she had left on the line! And when dad came home, i got it again too! lol

DM

[shadowood]

Hey thanks NCLee for posting that link.

I am going to make one from an old denim shirt of my daughter's that I saved.

My daughter will get a kick out of that.

[*mitzy*]

That is a great pin holder that even I could make.

My mother had the best cp holder I ever used. Most of you won't know what an old fashioned cotton sack looked like (for hand picking up to 200 pounds) but mother made a bag with both ends of the strap sewn on one side and left kind of long (like a shoulder bag). The strap was just the right length for you to reach down and pick out a pin without looking. You would put it over your shoulder.

Having both ends on the same side allows the bag to gap open for your hand to go into.

When you took the clothes off, back went the pins and the bag was hung on beside the door on the porch handy for the next time.

I am going to make one, when I get my new sewing machine out and figure out how to use it. I haven't sewn in years and it has bells and whistles:girl_wacko:

I know that is as clear as mud but, if I ever get one made, I will post a picture. The best thing is that you don't have to keep shoving it down the line as you hang laundry.

[bookwormom]

my mom always had a clothes pin apron. It really consisted mostly of one huge pocket that held the pins and she had them with her and just reached down.

[sally]

I found some good wooden spring clothes pins this weekend, at Atwoods, a farm & ranch supply store based in Oklahoma, with a few stores also in Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. The pins are 3.25" long. They are made in China, but they are the size I used to buy, long ago. Diamond Forster brand. They were 50 for $3.99.

I wonder if they would last longer if I were to spray a light coating of oil on the outside. Not on the clothes gripping surface, though. I might try an experiment. I could coat the outsides with various oils and write a note on the inside of the clothes pins. Wow, scientific method and everything! :D

[Pokeberry Mary]

It can depend on where you live and if you leave them outside all year. I generally like to clean mine once a year or so. I dump them in a bowl of water with a little bleach in it. That takes out all the stains and mildew and they look like new. Here in the south this could be done more often than in the north..

[NCLee]

Sally, good ones will last for 20 years or more, if you don't leave them on the line. If you leave them on the line, even spar varnish will only be of so much help. Left on the line all the time, maybe a couple of years or so life in them.

FWIW, I've never had problems with stains and mildew on them. But, if I did, I'd use a little bleach, too. Clamp the pins open to allow the part that touches to dry thoroughly. With good clothes pins, you can use one to hold another one open.

Just my 2-cents.
Lee

[Travis]

Will definetly have to look over that catalog. Growing up we had clothespins like that and if I remember correctly dad still has and uses them so that would be 30 some years

[DM]

I'm still using my mothers cloths pins and i'm sure they are from the 50's and 60's... I added a few a friend in Canada gave me a few years ago, but i like my moms better as they are a bit bigger.

DM