Well, I believe that only art supplies marketed directly to children have to be non-toxic. Even then, I was a stickler about keeping them out of mouths - yuck!

Once you move into real art, there are a number of things that you want to be careful with - fumes (paints and certain markers), extended exposure to the skin (thinners, brush cleaners), messy dust all over your table(charcoals, pastels)

What is the wording on the pen that you are worried about? Maybe someone here has advice to help you feel more comfortable? An open window? Or gloves?

Maybe a different color would be less objectionable - sometimes the metallic ones have more nasty stuff in them than other colors.

I hope someone has specific suggestions for you.

I believe all of them are, other than what sapphires said, those marketed for use in children, I do not think they would hold up as well...

I keep them on the top shelf in my kitchen, my wife cant even reach that... the kids cant even with a chair yet.

Silverkelt

The exact wording is pretty funny:
"contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer."

since I don't live in Cal I guess it won't cause cancer in me. LOL.

el

Thanks for posting that ellenr, I live in Michigan so I'm safe too!!LOL!! Just don't anyone take their paint pens to California...
-B

As far as I know, acrylic paint pens are non toxic. Don't remember the names off hand now, but I tried a couple of them when I ran out of ink in black deco paint pen and the store was all out of the black.

I don't recommend using the acrylic paint pens though. They too quite a while to dry on plastic and metal, at least 5 minutes, and in the New England winter, spring and summer, the paint faded very quickly.

Labels that went out in the winter where already starting to fade by April and ones that went out in April could barely be read by June and by July and August could not be read at all.

I always have a window open at my kitchen sink when WS and writing the labels with the Deco Paint pen and the pen is only open and exposed to the air as I write each label. Cap is on when not used.

I don't have young kids around the house now, but my supplies of various things that should not be where a child can get them are still located where they where when my grown kids where little.

If my kids where young, I would still use the deco paint pen because I don't think that the small exposure to the paint pens to write the labels would really be enough to create a problem.

I wouldn't have them writing the labels for me though anyways.

Fran

In Colorado here, so I'm safe too;))

My gold paint pens were stored in the fridge, with my seeds, and now they are working poorly. It was a bit chilly outside, where I was WSing and using them, so that could not have helped.

I am much more confident in the longevity of the ink from paint pens, vs the "permanant" Sharpie I started with last year. They prolly both cause cancer in California.

Of course, I'll try to keep my kids from ingesting both.

I have a black Elmer's Painters pen that says it is water-based and non-toxic. It does say that the metallic ones are not non-toxic. I did not like it because it does take a while to dry and even the "fine" tip was not small enough. I do see that they also have an "ultra-fine" tip though. I got it at Meijer in the craft department.

I far prefer the "Garden Marker" that is for outdoor use, water and fade resistant. It says it is xylene free with an alcohol based ink. It writes easily and dries quickly like a Sharpie but does not fade or have a strong smell. My tags from fall 2008 that have been outdoors that whole time still look good. I got a fat "garden marker" at Home Depot, but wanted a fine point and got some of them from Lee Valley when they had free shipping. The website listed on the markers is www.dpind.com, where they might have more info about it.

I would think that unless you are inhaling any fumes for a long period of time, or licking it, I don't really see an issue. If you are just using it to label the markers I think it would be fine. It seems like just about everything they make these days somehow causes cancer. If you are super worried, you could always hold your breath or cover your mouth with something while you have the cap off.

I read on one forum about someone who suggested metal tape. I bought a roll of real duct tape and i wrapped some around the ends of popsicle sticks. When you write on it, it indents so that even if the ink fades, you can still read it. Just a thought.

If it holds up during the harsh winter on labels, I wouldn't want to do more driving to take it back but probably wouldn't get another one. It's probably nothing to worry about; they have to give worst-case-scenario warnings. That's why I don't read the side effects on my meds, scares me so bad I would refuse to take them. And some I just about have to or else.

There's someone who started a thread something about "how I winter sow". She? has the oddest looking milk jugs, but she writes on them on top with dark blue, I think it was, very legible. If that pen holds up through the winter, I'd rather have one like that, be nice to write directly on my containers and plastic cups.