Kenter Type Joining Shackle

How it works, and why it is shaped the way it is

A Kenter is not a shackle in the rigging sense. It is a link, split diagonally into two identical dovetailed halves that interlock around the two end links being joined. A separate stud drops into the middle, and a tapered pin driven through the assembly locks the whole thing. The pin is then retained by a lead plug hammered into the recess over its head — a soft, sacrificial closure that will not corrode into the steel and can be driven out again when the cable is broken.

Every dimension is dictated by that one requirement: the assembled Kenter must occupy the same length (6d) and the same pitch (4d) as the common links either side of it, so the cable lifter’s pockets receive it exactly as they receive any other link. It is slightly wider — around 4.2d against a common link’s 3.6d — which is why the pocket profile and the chain stopper have to suit.

Loads: the same as the chain, by requirement

The proof and breaking loads in the table below are identical to those for stud link chain of the same diameter. That is not a coincidence and not a convenience — an accessory is required to be proof-tested at the proof load of the chain it serves. A Kenter that tested lower would be the designed weak point of the cable.

Accessories are also made in a minimum of Grade 2 steel, whatever the grade of the chain, and are forged or cast rather than flash-butt welded.

The test certificate that separates real from re-sold

Kenter shackles are break-tested one unit per batch of 50 — a looser sampling than the one-in-25 that applies to other accessories, because they are made in larger runs. Every unit is proof-loaded. When you buy Kenters, ask for the batch break-test certificate and check the batch identity ties to the units delivered. A pile of shackles with a proof certificate and no batch break test is not a certified accessory.

Practical notes

• Match the Kenter to the chain diameter and grade, not to the last one that fitted. The marking on the chain’s end link is the reference.
• Keep the lead plug. Driving a Kenter without renewing the plug leaves the tapered pin free to work out.
• A Kenter is the standard place to mark the cable — shots are counted by the joining shackles, and the paint and wire turns go on and either side of them.
• Check the chain stopper and cable lifter will pass the shackle’s greater width before ordering a size you have not used before.