LOOP® Products - An Introduction
by Kerri Robson 12 Jul 2019 08:00 UTC
LOOP® Products Block with soft lashing © LOOP Products
LOOP® Products are a German firm who pride themselves on hard work and innovation. Formed in 2005, LOOP® Products is the brainchild of Kohlhoff GmbH - a deck hardware specialist and wholesaler of top brands since 1991.
Located in Altenholz - near Kiel, close to the Schilksee Olympic Port - LOOP® Products develop and engineer an array of rope-related products in their workshop. Examples of such products include blocks, soft shackles, padeyes, fairleads, thimbles, rings and dogbones, among others.
As active sailors themselves, the team behind LOOP® Products were increasingly aware of the problems both cruising and racing sailors were facing out on the water. Unable to find any product offerings on the market capable of solving these problems, LOOP® Products decided to take things into their own hands and started to develop their own hardware and rigging solutions.
Committed to providing the highest quality, each product is precisely manufactured using the highest quality materials - high grade, hard anodised aluminium and Gottifredi Maffioli HTR treated Dyneema® SK75 and SK78 line.
Rigorously tried and tested, the end result is that LOOP® Products are extremely light, durable and incredibly strong - up to 15 times stronger than equivalent steel fittings.
In addition to this - and setting themselves apart from other deck hardware brands - family orientated LOOP® Products also strive to give back to the local community, with some products assembled by hand in workshops held locally for those with disabilities.
Regarding the brand's name, LOOP® Products was coined due to the first product that was created: the LOOP® Block. The invention of the LOOP® Block came in the early years of development of soft deck solutions, and the product has flourished since. The multi-purpose snatch block, which is fastened with a soft loop, is compact and lightweight - up to 90% lighter than traditional metallic blocks and connectors.
Furthermore, the block - which was DAME Award nominated - utilises a Dyneema® loop which will never jam when overloaded, ensuring the LOOP® Block can always be released quickly and effortlessly in a critical situation. Soft solutions, such as the LOOP® Block, also do far less damage to masts, decks, sails and topsides than metallic solutions, and are very long lasting.
Similarly, the LOOP® Shackle is a simple Dyneema® loop with a diamond knot closure, and it is available as a single or double loop. LOOP® Products were one of the first deck hardware companies to offer a soft shackle with a double loop. The double version can be advantageous as they align very well to different load angles, with each side of the loop taking 50% of the load.
Now, the LOOP® Products portfolio offers a multitude of soft solutions. Some of the products available include: high performance padeyes (used on VOR65s and many other race boats), modular deck organisers and even a DAME nominated electric furler.
Intrigued, and want to explore the LOOP® Products range further? The full LOOP® Products portfolio is available to purchase here, or if you have any queries please get in touch with us using our contact form.