ANSI Gate-Rated Steel Snap Hook

This steel snap hook has a double-locking keeper and a gate rated to the strength current ANSI rules require for snap hooks. It is a durable choice for building or replacing a hook on a lanyard or flipline.

Why a gate rating matters

Older snap hooks could be rolled open if the gate was pressed hard against a ring or anchor. Gate-rated snaps are built so the keeper holds against a much higher side load, which closes off that failure. Arborists who use snap hooks on lanyards and fliplines should be using gate-rated hardware.

Steel stands up to the abrasion that comes with working around bark and spurs all day.

Many climbers prefer a snap hook on a flipline because it is quick to clip to a saddle D-ring with one hand, and the narrow nose sits neatly in the ring. The steel snap also takes wear from contact with spurs and rough bark better than aluminum hardware does.

Installation and inspection

A snap hook on a lanyard is life support. It should be attached by a qualified splicer or with a termination the manufacturer approves, and the lanyard should meet ANSI Z133 and the maker's instructions. Do not tie a snap onto a rope with a knot unless that knot is part of an approved system.

Check the keeper springs closed and locks every time, look for cracks, rust or burrs, and retire the hook after a fall or if it is damaged. See other snap hooks for different sizes.