Shoat Ring Versus Hog Rings: Which One Do You Need?

Although shoat rings and hog rings have similar functions, they are actually two unique products. Traditionally used to stop swine from rooting, these adaptable fasteners are now used for all types of farming, fencing, automotive, and upholstering purposes. 

Continue reading to learn about the nuances between these two multi-purpose fasteners and the most common applications for each type.

Shoat Rings

A baby piglet becomes a “shoat” just after it’s weaned from its mother. Shoat rings are crimped in place on each side of a shoat’s snout to discourage rooting. These rings are intended for swine that weigh up to one hundred pounds. Once a shoat weighs more than one hundred pounds, it becomes a hog.

Shoat rings measure about 2.5 x 5 inches and, like hog rings, are manufactured with a minor bend in the center to accommodate simple crimping. They can also be used to repair fencing, join upholstery, and other garden/pasture purposes.

However, like their animal namesakes, shoat rings aren’t as heavy-duty, large, or strong as hog rings.

Hog Rings

Hogs are bigger than pigs and shoats, which is why hog rings are bigger than shoat rings. Hog rings have been used conventionally to keep pigs that weigh more than one hundred pounds from digging under fencing and causing self-injury from rooting on concrete.

Other uses for hog rings include reinforcing chain-link fencing, repairing upholstery, and putting numerous types of materials together. When properly crimped with a pair of specialty pliers, these tough fasteners are unlikely to break free like staples or nails.

Which One Is Better for Your Applications?

Unless your intended application is placing a shoat ring in a shoat’s snout, hog rings are typically the superior fastener option. Hog rings are larger, built heavier, available in more material and thickness gauge options, and generally superior for almost every purpose. They are grown-up shoat rings!

Whether you’re joining sections of fencing together, attaching a tarp to a chain-link fence, joining upholstery portions, or even bringing your ripped truck seat back together, hog rings provide more strength and adaptability than shoat rings can.

Find Hog Rings at King Steel Fasteners

Founded in 1995, King Steel Fasteners is a family-owned and -operated, U.S.-based supplier of top-quality hog rings and other types of fasteners. Our hog rings are available in C and D styles, as well as aluminum, basic steel, galvanized steel, high-tensile galvanized, GelFan, and stainless steel varieties. You can view our inventory here. If you have questions about our products or want to request a quote, please contact us today.