They are common components in everyday items, like consumer electronics and furniture, as well as large building sites, providing structural integrity in buildings and bridges. The wide scope of different types means that you can find a fastener for any application, so long as you choose the right one.
What is a fastener?

Fasteners encompass a broad range of hardware pieces, all with a common goal: mechanically binding and holding components and different materials together. How they do this differs, and the two main categories are permanent and temporary.
Nails form a permanent connection in items like kitchen cabinets, plasterboard, and floor siding. When you remove them, they will deform or damage the materials, hence why they should be considered permanent fasteners.
Non-permanent types like bolts are more versatile in that the threading bites into the materials but also allows you to remove them anytime for maintenance. They are often used with nuts and washers to better distribute loads and provide a more secure connection.
Threaded vs. Non-Threaded Types
Another categorization divides these tools into threaded and non-threaded types, usually corresponding to temporary and permanent variants. Threaded fasteners have an integral thread or grove along part of the whole length of the shank, or the elongated section that does most of the binding. This thread not only secures the connected parts but also makes it easier to remove the fastener. It can then be reused as needed. Common threaded types include a variety of bolts, screws, and their matching nuts and washers.
Internal or external threading adds a whole list of pros. The fastener has higher holding strength, meaning it’s adequate for both light and heavy-duty applications, has more versatility in terms of the materials it can be used with, and there’s more leeway in adjustment to torquing the fasteners for just the right strength.
Non-threaded variants include pins, clips, rivets, retaining rings, and a wide selection of nails. They’re often quicker and easier to use and install, are generally cheaper to buy, and assume a low profile with little protrusion. But besides their aesthetic appeal, their usage is limited, largely due to the much lower holding power, low suitability in heavy-duty use, and low levels of adjustability.
Choosing Right

So, how do you choose between a hex bolt and a carriage bolt? Or for that matter, from the wide assortment of masonry anchors? The obvious design differences work to their advantage and they all boil down to the requirements of the application. Some types, like concrete or self-drilling screws, already signal how or where they’re used. You also need to consider the materials, since they determine the holding strength. Lastly, you’ll want a fastener that’s of the right size.
Design Specifics
Drive types and head styles determine the tools with which fasteners are installed, the overall look, where they can be used, and to a large extent, their overall clamping strength. Common head styles in hex head, seen in bolts and set screws, with high holding force and tightened with a wrench; flat head uses in countersinking and flush surfaces; round and pan heads, usually installed with screwdrivers and in medium duty applications or decorative purposes; socket heads installed with a socket wrench in heavy-duty uses such as tools, machinery and dies and shorter fasteners with button head designs in things like electronics and car parts.
Drive types dictate the type of screwdriver to transfer the required torque and make for a secure (and lasting) connection with the right holding power. The most common are Phillips and slotted drives seen in most consumer-grade uses, while there are also specialised Torx, square and hex drives, with their ability to resist cam-out or tool slipping during installation or removal.
Materials
The materials fasteners are made of have a huge say in their overall strength, and where they are used. Some more common materials include:
- Stainless steel – 304 and 316 grades are the main stainless steel types. Both have high corrosion, chemical and heat resistance and are suitable for outdoor use.
- Chrome and nickel-plated – these are plated steel variants with a decorative finish. Nickel-plated types also work well against rust.
- Zinc-plated and hot-dip galvanised steel – Zinc-plated fasteners are mainly for indoor use, while heavy-duty outdoor applications calling for high corrosion resistance will see you using hot-dip galvanised variants.
- Titanium – This material has high strength, very low weight and good corrosion resistance. Titanium fasteners are some of the costliest and are usually seen in specialised uses.
- Nylon – these are lightweight, durable and inexpensive alternatives to steel options. They’re common in electronics and medical devices, among other uses.
- Brass – if you’re after good looks and the best work against rusting, choose bolts and screws in brass. They’re good for decorative purposes but also last in harsh environments, such as marine applications when taming the damaging effects of salt spray and seawater.
Why Size Matters
The last major consideration when choosing is size. This needs to be proportionate to the depth, width and surface of the materials or parts being joined. Here consider diameters in the thread or slotted section, the overall length of the fastener (measuring from just under the head), and specifics like thread pitch size that aids holding strength and eases installation. Also consider sizes and pitch in nuts when pairing them with bolts, and the inner and outer diameters of washers. All can be listed either in metrical or imperial units.
What’s to note is that metal types, typically those found in medium and heavy-duty uses also have engraved or pressed numbers to denote metal grades and strength. Higher numbers mean better mechanical properties, but also higher prices. For large-scale projects, this helps in determining which material grades work best in the defined settings and helps keep down operational costs.
Final Thoughts
If you know which options work for you and which don’t, then the only thing left is to purchase them. Choose a dedicated hardware store with a wide product selection and availability, variants of high quality with the right certification, and reasonable prices. You can shop online to save money and hassle, have everything delivered to a specified address or shop in-store and get up close and personal with anything you buy.
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