Bobby Pins

Hair pins are useful tools for the natural hair girl. I rarely used them prior to going natural.  However, since I discovered the roll and tuck hair styles, bobby pins became my best friends.  This increased use of hair pins has lead me to notice that my bobby pins do not last very long. I am disappointed by how quickly they become ineffective and need to be replaced. The top problems I encountered include:

1. How frequently and quickly the tips come off. This then leads to the metal ripping through the hair. 
2. They get stretched out of shape after a few uses.
3. Too much or not enough grip.

A couple of weeks ago I run out of bobby pins. I remembered this whilst shopping and bought some at Sainsbury's. They turned out to be too small and did not hold my hair in place. Yesterday, I bought Goody Colour Collection pack at Boots. Although I wanted that particular size they did not have a pack with black pins only. So I ended up with a combination of black and brown bobby pins. Goody's pins are advertised as having great grip. I used it today and indeed the pins have good grip. However, they already started to lose their shape. I wonder how long their tips will last...

Is it just me having this problem?

A quick search lead me to MetaGrip apparently a great brand of Bobby pins. Unfortunately it does not look like they are available in the UK...

Can anyone recommend a good brand of Bobby pins that will last and can be found in the UK?

Marisa. X