Overview of Stainless Steel Shackles

Here you’ll find a large selection of premium stainless steel shackles manufactured by trusted brands including Wichard, Blue Wave, Allen, and Proboat. These essential connectors are used in a wide variety of applications — from yachting and rigging to industrial load bearing and lifting uses.

Made from the best types of marine grade stainless steel, our shackles combine excellent strength with outstanding corrosion resistance, ensuring long term reliability even in harsh environments.

Wichard Forged Shackles – Strength and Reliability

Wichard forged shackles are hot dropped forged from a single piece of stainless steel, a manufacturing method that significantly improves strength, consistency, and safety. Each shackle’s technical characteristics are thoroughly controlled and tested before, during, and after production — allowing Wichard to confidently stamp its brand on every component.

Many models in this range are CE marked in accordance with the Machinery Directive (2006/42), allowing them to be used as lifting accessories when marked with:

• Working Load Limit (WLL)

• CE Marking

• Product Origin

• Manufacturer Logo

Materials Used in Wichard Shackles

• AISI 316 Stainless Steel – marine grade material offering an excellent balance of strength and corrosion resistance.

• HR (High Resistance 17.4PH) Stainless Steel – offers higher mechanical strength for increased working loads, ideal for cruisers, racers, and industrial use.

• Titanium (TA6V Alloy) – used where weight saving is a priority, up to ~45% lighter than standard 316 stainless shackles.

Types of Shackles in the Range

Forged Self Locking Pin Shackles

Forged in AISI 316 stainless steel, these shackles feature a self locking pin that locks into notches in the body to prevent accidental release due to vibration. They are CE marked and WLL stamped, making them suitable for lifting applications.

Forged Captive Pin Shackles

Also forged in AISI 316 stainless steel, the captive pin design prevents the pin from being lost while still allowing full opening width inside the shackle jaw. These are CE marked for lifting use.

Forged Key Pin Shackles

Forged in AISI 316 stainless steel (with HR versions available), key pin shackles require no thread and open with a simple half turn, allowing for quick and simple attachment.

HR (High Resistance 17.4PH) Shackles

Manufactured entirely from 17.4PH stainless steel, these shackles offer exceptionally high mechanical characteristics and are widely used by ocean going cruisers, racers, and in demanding industrial environments.

Titanium Shackles

Forged from TA6V titanium alloy, titanium shackles are significantly lighter than stainless counterparts, making them ideal for performance sailing where weight is critical.

Thimble Shackles

Forged in AISI 316 stainless steel with a plastic moulded thimble, these allow safe direct rope splicing without requiring an additional metal thimble.

Allen Head Pin Shackles

Featuring a flush, countersunk Allen head pin, these shackles eliminate pin protrusion to reduce snagging on lines or webbing.

Dyneema Soft Link Shackles

Wichard’s soft link shackles deliver steel equivalent strength with significantly reduced weight and flexibility. With a unique stainless steel connector, these can be fitted without knot skills and remain easy to open after maximum tension.

Blue Wave & Allen Strip Shackles

We also stock Strip Shackles from Blue Wave and Allen, made from AISI 316 stainless steel sheet for lighter duty applications. These are ideal where a smaller, lightweight shackle is required and are available with:

• Thumb screw pins

• Slotted pins

• Clevis pins

Proboat Standard Shackles

For those seeking a more economical option, Proboat standard stainless shackles are manufactured from AISI 316 stainless steel with forged pins for extra security.

This wide range includes:

• Bow & D shackles

• Wide jaw & long D shackles

• Twisted shackle designs

• Key pin and Allen head variants

Available in sizes from 4mm up to 22mm diameter, these shackles provide exceptional quality and value.

Galvanised Steel Shackles

In addition to marine grade stainless options, we also offer a range of galvanised shackles in both bow and D shapes, with diameters from 5mm up to 32mm, suitable for traditional boats, general rigging, and industrial applications.

Applications & Use Cases

Shackles are versatile connectors used in:

• Marine rigging and sailing hardware

• Lifting and load bearing systems

• Industrial applications

• Deck and hardware installations

• Structural and tensioned cable systems

Choosing the correct material, type, and working load capacity ensures both safety and long service life.

Anchor Opportunities & Internal Links

To support topical authority and ranking:

• Rigging Hardware Category — anchor: “Explore our full range of rigging hardware and deck fittings”

• Shackle and Snap Shackle Guide — anchor: “Learn how to choose the right shackle for your marine application”

• Working Load Limit Guide — anchor: “Check our guide on shackles WLL and safety best practices”