Welcome to the Strelets Forum. Please feel free to discuss any aspect of 1/72 scale plastic figures, not simply Strelets. If you have any questions about our products then we will answer them here.
I spent Sunday morning substituting the pikes with broom bristles, and only succeeded in drilling the end of my thumb twice. The broom bristles are great. They hold paint well and have just enough flex in them not to bend out of shape in mishandled.
Ah yes, I sympathise. My thumb and fingers have been accidentally 'drilled' on quite a lot of occasions. This hobby of ours is not without its dangers!