ASTM F1667: specification for nails, spikes and staples
ASTM F1667 is the ASTM product specification for driven fasteners: nails, cut nails, spikes and staples. It classifies them by type and style and sets dimensions, material, properties and coatings, with testing to ASTM F680. The current edition is F1667/F1667M-21a.
A pallet can have more than 100 nails, and the wrong nail is one of the most common reasons a design underperforms. ASTM F1667 is the standard product specification for nails and similar fasteners in the US. Its title is Standard Specification for Driven Fasteners: Nails, Spikes, and Staples. It is maintained under ASTM Committee F16 on fasteners. The current edition is F1667/F1667M-21a, which covers inch-pound (F1667) and SI (F1667M) units.
What does ASTM F1667 cover?
F1667 covers fasteners driven by hand tool, power tool or machine, in single or multiple strikes. It classifies them into four types:
Within each type, styles are defined by use and geometry, with dimensions, head and point forms, and shank types such as smooth (plain shank), helically threaded and annularly threaded. It also sets material requirements, physical properties (ductility, tensile strength) and protective coatings and finishes such as galvanizing. Testing is done to ASTM F680.
The exact style tables and designations are in the standard and are not reproduced here.
Why pallet buyers care
Pallet joints carry load through the fasteners. Three nail properties matter most, and F1667 gives a standard way to describe all three:
| Property | Effect on the pallet | How to state it |
|---|---|---|
| Wire diameter | Shear strength and withdrawal resistance | Actual diameter or gauge |
| Shank type and thread geometry | Withdrawal resistance, joint loosening over trips | Shank type, thread length, helix count or thread angle |
| Stiffness | Joint durability under handling impacts | Maximum MIBANT angle per F680 |
Length and head diameter also matter: length sets penetration into the stringer or block, and the head resists pull-through on thin deckboards.
What F1667 does not do
- It does not say how many nails a pallet joint needs. The Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets sets minimum nails per connection by board width, and PDS checks joint capacity.
- It does not set a MIBANT limit for pallets. That comes from the pallet standard or your spec.
- It does not cover screws or bolts, which have their own standards.
How it relates to other standards
| Standard | Role |
|---|---|
| ASTM F1667 | Product spec for nails, spikes, staples |
| ASTM F680 | Test methods for nails |
| ASTM F1575 | Bending yield moment of nails |
| ANSI MH1 | Includes pallet driven-fastener requirements and a nail quality protocol |
| Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets | Pallet fastener types, quality, counts and penetration |
When should a buyer cite ASTM F1667?
- When the spec names a fastener and you want an unambiguous, standard description of it.
- When buying galvanized or coated nails for outdoor, wet or chemical environments and you need the coating defined.
- In government or military contracts, which commonly reference ASTM product specs.
For most commercial pallet RFQs, the practical approach is to describe the nail fully on the drawing (type, length, wire diameter, thread, coating, MIBANT maximum) and reference F1667 and F680 as the basis. See pallet nails and fasteners for common pallet nail sizes.
How to reference it on a spec sheet
- "Fasteners per ASTM F1667, Type I nails, helically threaded, [length] × [wire diameter], bright or [coating]."
- "Staples per ASTM F1667, Type IV, [crown] × [leg length], adhesive coated."
- "Nail stiffness: MIBANT [value]° maximum, tested per ASTM F680."
The designer's parts list gives the total fastener count per pallet, which you can pair with a nail spec written this way.
Frequently asked questions
Does ASTM F1667 specify pallet nails?
It covers the general nail types used in pallets and gives a standard way to describe them, but pallet-specific requirements (such as a maximum MIBANT angle or minimum nails per joint) come from pallet standards or the buyer's spec.
What is the difference between F1667 and F1667M?
F1667 is the inch-pound version and F1667M the SI (metric) version. They are published together as F1667/F1667M.
What test standard goes with ASTM F1667?
ASTM F680, which gives the test methods for nail dimensions, tension, bending, impact bending, hardness and coatings.
Sources and references
Related
- StandardsASTM F680: test methods for nails (including the MIBANT test)ASTM F680 is the ASTM standard for testing nails: dimensions, tension, bend, impact bend, hardness and zinc coatings. Its impact bend test is the MIBANT test pallet makers use to check nail stiffness. F680 gives methods only; the product spec sets the pass values.
- GuidesPallet nails and fasteners: types, sizes, MIBANT and nail countsMost wood pallets use threaded nails: helical (screw shank) for dense hardwoods, annular (ring shank) for softwoods. A typical deck nail is 2-1/4 in long with 0.112–0.120 in (11.5–11 gauge) wire. The Uniform Standard requires at least 2 nails per joint on boards up to 5-1/4 in wide and 3 on wider ones.
- GlossaryNail (pallet fastener)A nail is the standard fastener for wood pallets, driven through deckboards into stringers or blocks. Pallet nails are specified by shank type (helical, annular or plain), length, wire diameter, head diameter and bending strength.
- GlossaryStaple (pallet fastener)A staple is a two-legged wire fastener joined by a crown, driven by a pneumatic tool. Some pallets are stapled instead of nailed, often with adhesive-coated staples of round or rectangular wire.
- GlossaryHelically threaded nail (pallet)A helically threaded nail has spiral flutes rolled into its shank so it rotates as it is driven, which locks it into the wood. It is the most common pallet nail, recommended for medium- and high-density hardwoods.
- GlossaryAnnularly threaded nail (pallet)An annularly threaded nail, or ring shank nail, has a series of rings rolled into its shank that lock into the wood fibers. It is generally recommended for low-density hardwoods and most softwoods.
- GlossaryPlain shank nail (pallet)A plain shank nail has a smooth shank with no threads. It has the lowest withdrawal resistance of pallet nails, so on pallets it is mainly used where it is clinched, such as block-pallet deck mats.
- GlossaryWire diameter (pallet nails)Wire diameter is the diameter of the steel wire a nail or staple is made from, measured on the shank before threads are rolled. Pallet nails are commonly 0.099 to 0.120 in (2.5 to 3.0 mm), or 12.5 to 11 gauge.
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Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 631 words.