The CARB carbine hook is a spring-gate snap hook for general fastening, tethering and light restraint work. Pressing the gate against its spring opens the throat, allowing the hook to be clipped onto a ring, chain link, eye or bar; releasing it snaps the gate closed against the nose. Manufactured in mild steel with an electro galvanised finish, available in twelve sizes from 4 mm through to 15 mm nominal.
Key Features
- Spring-loaded gate: Simple sprung gate opens under thumb pressure and closes automatically on release, giving quick single-handed connection and disconnection.
- Twelve sizes: Nominal sizes from 4 mm to 15 mm, with overall lengths from 40 mm to 200 mm, covering everything from light tethering to substantial gate and barrier work.
- Electro galvanised finish: Zinc electroplated for corrosion resistance in general indoor and sheltered outdoor use. For prolonged marine or heavy washdown exposure, a hot dipped galvanised or stainless fitting will last considerably longer.
- Mild steel construction: Formed from mild steel rather than alloy, keeping cost low for high-volume general use.
- Open throat dimension quoted: Dimension C gives the gate opening for each size, from 7 mm on the CARB4 up to 25 mm on the CARB15, so you can check compatibility with the ring or bar before ordering.
- Supplied per 100: Weights are quoted in kilograms per hundred, reflecting the volume packaging these are normally sold in.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
A (mm) |
B (mm) |
C (mm) |
D (mm) |
L (mm) |
Weight (kg/100) |
| CARB4 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
14 |
40 |
0.6 |
| CARB5 |
5 |
7 |
8 |
16 |
50 |
1.3 |
| CARB6 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
18 |
60 |
2.7 |
| CARB7 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
22 |
70 |
4.4 |
| CARB8 |
8 |
11 |
12 |
24 |
80 |
6.5 |
| CARB9 |
9 |
11 |
12 |
26 |
90 |
8.8 |
| CARB10 |
10 |
12 |
15 |
30 |
100 |
12.7 |
| CARB11 |
11 |
14 |
18 |
36 |
120 |
18 |
| CARB12 |
12 |
16 |
20 |
40 |
140 |
26 |
| CARB13 |
13 |
20 |
22 |
44 |
160 |
32 |
| CARB14 |
14 |
20 |
25 |
48 |
180 |
35 |
| CARB15 |
15 |
20 |
25 |
60 |
200 |
57.2 |
A is nominal size, C is the gate opening, L is overall length. Weights are per 100 pieces. No Working Load Limit is published for this product because it is untested.
Commercial Quality — Untested and Unrated
This is a commercial quality fitting. It is supplied untested, carries no Working Load Limit and no certification, and must not be used for lifting, load restraint, fall arrest, work positioning or any application where failure could cause injury or damage. Where a rated connector is required, use a load-rated hook, karabiner or shackle certified to the appropriate standard. WOLFF Onsite can supply certified alternatives across the Grade 8, Grade 10 and height safety ranges.
Suitable Applications
Carbine hooks of this type are general hardware rather than lifting equipment. They suit agricultural and equestrian fastening, tethering animals and equipment, gate and barrier chains, flagpole and banner rigging, dog leads and runs, tool tethers where no drop hazard exists, marine and boatyard general fastening, and any application where a quick-release connection is wanted and the load is nominal. Choose the size by gate opening rather than by strength, since strength is not declared. For lifting, load restraint on vehicles, or anything overhead, use a rated connector instead.
More About This Product
Shackles are the most-handled component in any lifting operation, and that is precisely why they wear out first. A sling gets rigged and derigged; a shackle gets rigged, derigged, dropped, driven over, thrown into a box and picked up by whoever needs one. Most lifting gear fails from a single overload; shackles fail from accumulated inattention.
The grade markings matter more than most people realise. A Grade 6 high tensile shackle to BS EN 13889 and a Grade 8 alloy shackle look similar and share the same body shape, but the alloy version carries considerably more at the same size. Once a shackle is in a box with fifty others, the only way to tell them apart is the marking — which is why an unmarked shackle has to be scrapped no matter how good it looks.
Understanding the Load Path
A shackle has two distinct load-bearing elements and they do different jobs. The bow takes the sling; the pin takes the load. Reverse that — put the sling on the pin and the load on the bow — and two things happen. The sling bears on a smaller radius than it was designed for, and any movement in the sling starts to rotate the pin.
On a screw collar pin that rotation is the failure mechanism. A sling shifting under a settling load, or vibration transmitted from plant nearby, will slowly unscrew the pin over minutes or hours. It rarely happens quickly enough for anyone to see it happening.
The second consideration is angle. A shackle loaded in line with the pin carries its full rating. Loaded at an angle across the bow it carries substantially less, and published derating tables cover a limited range of angles — beyond that range no figure is published because none applies. On a multi-leg sling every leg is at an angle by definition, which is why the bow shackle exists and why putting a multi-leg sling into a dee shackle is a genuine mistake rather than a preference.
How to Use the Carbine Hook
- Check the application is appropriate: This hook is untested and unrated. Confirm before use that failure would not cause injury or significant damage.
- Match the gate opening to the fitting: Dimension C must comfortably clear the ring, link or bar the hook connects to. Forcing a hook onto an oversized fitting distorts the gate.
- Inspect before use: Check the gate springs closed fully and sits against the nose, the body shows no distortion or opening at the throat, and the galvanising is intact.
- Clip on and confirm closure: Press the gate, engage the hook, then release and visually confirm the gate has returned fully closed.
- Load along the spine: Load should run along the back of the hook, never across the gate. A carbine hook loaded on the gate will open.
- Replace when the gate weakens: A gate that no longer snaps shut briskly has lost spring tension and the hook should be discarded.
Warning: This is a commercial quality untested fitting with no Working Load Limit. Never use for lifting, overhead work, load restraint, fall protection, personnel safety, or the securing of loads in transit. Never load a carbine hook across the gate.
Safety Information
- No Working Load Limit is declared. Do not assume any load capacity.
- Not for lifting, fall arrest, work positioning, personnel restraint or load securing.
- Load along the spine of the hook only, never across the gate.
- Do not use where the gate could be levered open against an adjacent surface.
- Discard any hook with a weak, sticking or non-closing gate.
- Discard any hook showing throat opening, distortion or significant corrosion.
- Do not weld, heat, bend or otherwise modify.
- Electro galvanising gives limited corrosion protection. Inspect frequently in wet or marine conditions.
Inspection and Maintenance
Carbine hooks need no scheduled maintenance, but the gate mechanism benefits from an occasional drop of light oil at the pivot, particularly outdoors where grit and corrosion cause sticking. Check periodically that the gate closes fully and briskly, that the throat has not opened under load, and that the electro galvanised coating has not broken down to bare steel. These are low-cost consumable items and should be replaced rather than repaired at the first sign of gate failure, distortion or rust penetration.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does "commercial quality, untested" mean?
It means the hooks are manufactured to a commercial standard for general hardware use, but are not proof tested, not individually certified and carry no declared Working Load Limit. They are general fastening components, not lifting accessories, and must not be used in any application where the consequence of failure is injury or significant damage.
Q: Can I use these for a small lift if the load is light?
No. Without a declared and certified Working Load Limit there is no basis on which to judge whether any load is safe, and under LOLER a lifting accessory must be certified and thoroughly examined. Use a rated sling hook, karabiner or shackle from our certified ranges instead, whatever the load.
Q: What is the difference between CARB, CARBE, CARBSG and CARBESG?
All four share the same body and spring gate. CARB is the plain standard hook. CARBE adds an eyelet at the tail for permanent attachment to rope or webbing. CARBSG adds a screw gate collar that locks the gate closed. CARBESG combines both, giving a screw gate and an eyelet. Choose by whether you need a locking gate, a fixed attachment point, or both.
Q: Will these last outdoors?
Electro galvanising is a thin zinc coating suited to general indoor and sheltered outdoor use. In persistently wet, coastal or washdown conditions it will break down within months rather than years. For sustained outdoor exposure, ask us about hot dipped galvanised or stainless steel alternatives.
Q: Why are weights quoted per 100?
These are volume hardware items normally bought in quantity, so the trade convention is to quote weight per hundred pieces. A single CARB8 weighs 65 grams, quoted here as 6.5 kg per 100.
