Breakawy links

[china]

Just interested in the forum members opinion on including a breakaway link in pendant chains etc.

[CJ57]

Always! Dogs, kids, door handles, in fact anything you could possibly catch on is waiting

[nicks creative stuff]

I will occasionally wear a chain with a very sentimental and valuable ring hanging on it … no way would I want it to have a weak link that could break and lose the ring down a drain or somewhere … N

[Dennis]

Famous last words, but I have never purposely added a breaking link.

I have made dozens of necklaces for family and friends, over a period of 25 years and have not had an accident reported, where anyone was hurt.

Very occasionally the soldering on a jump ring proved inadequate, and if at some distance away was mostly able to post a small split ring.

However when selling your work common sense would dictate including a safety feature. Dennis.

[CJ57]

It’s not so much a safety link but a thicker unsoldered jump ring at the catch. If you’re bending over and a child grabs it or a jumping dog gets caught I’d rather not be garrotted! If it’s for special occasions one the person doesn’t expect any of the above then fine but for every day living I prefer to be on the safe side.
There are also the rules girls/ women live by and the amount of reported thefts in the street. If someone decides to grab your necklace I’d like it just to come off without a fight or further injury. Not likely to happen in rural Fife !!

[china]

Thanks for the replies, some thing I have never done, although I was asked by a friend to install one in a chain.

[Dennis]

There is an elephant in the room, as there usually is:
Just how weak does a safety link have to be to protect the wearer from injury, or perceived injury. How do you test for that?
Will the chain still do its job and hold together? Dennis.

[CJ57]

Why can it not just be at the catch rather than in the chain

[Dennis]

Yes to coin a phrase, a chain is as weak as its weakest component.
Just how weak should that be though.