DMM Stainless Steel Thimble

The DMM stainless steel thimble sits inside a spliced rope eye and protects it where it bears on a carabiner, shackle or ring. It keeps the eye open, spreads the load over a smooth radius and cuts down on abrasion at a high-wear point.

Why use a thimble

A soft eye on a rope sling or rigging line takes all its wear in one spot: where it wraps around the connector. Over time the fibers there flatten, glaze and abrade. A thimble gives the rope a hard, smooth bearing surface so the eye keeps its shape and the wear goes onto the steel instead of the rope.

Arborists see thimbles on rigging slings, lanyard ends and the eyes of lowering lines. They also make it easier to clip a carabiner into the eye because the opening never collapses. See more carabiners and hardware for related connectors.

Stainless steel suits rope that sees wet and muddy days, and it resists rust far better than plain steel. That matters on gear that lives in a damp truck bed or rope bag between jobs.

Sizing and inspection

Thimbles are sized to rope diameter. Too small and the rope will not seat; too large and it can pull out of the eye. Confirm the thimble size against your rope with the seller, and have spliced eyes made by a qualified splicer to the rope maker's instructions.

Check thimbles for cracks, distortion and sharp edges, and retire any that are deformed. Use thimbled eyes only within the rated strength of the rope and hardware in the system, and follow ANSI Z133 and the manufacturers' instructions.