Black Steel Nails & Nail Washers

Black steel nails, also sold as wire nails or common nails, are round-wire nails with a flat head, driven by hammer into timber and plywood. Nail washers are flat discs that sit under the head to spread the hold. Falcon Link TR supplies steel nails and nail washers from Sharjah for UAE carpentry and shuttering.

What are black steel nails and wire nails?

A wire nail is cut from steel wire, given a flat head and a sharp point. "Black" usually means plain steel with a dark, oily or oxide finish rather than a zinc coat. Bright nails, galvanised nails and blued nails are other finishes of the same basic nail. Buyers in the UAE ask for them by length in inches, often by weight in kilograms or by the 25 kg carton.

A nail washer is a thin flat or cupped disc that goes on the nail before it is driven. It stops the head sinking into soft material such as insulation board, felt, thin sheet or foam. We list the washer with the nail because the two are often bought together. Confirm washer diameter and thickness with our sales team.

Steel nail sizes: how to read the range

These are typical trade sizes. Wire diameter varies between lots and between nail lengths. For exact figures, ask us to confirm size, wire gauge and head type.

How do you work out nails per kilogram?

Nails are sold by weight, so buyers often need a count. You can calculate it. The weight of one nail in grams is close to 0.00617 times the wire diameter squared (in mm) times the length (in mm). Add a small allowance for the head. Divide 1000 by that figure to get nails per kg.

For example, a 3 inch (75 mm) nail with a 3.15 mm wire weighs roughly 4.6 g, so there are about 215 nails per kg. A 2 inch (50 mm) nail at 2.65 mm is about 2.2 g, so roughly 450 per kg. Actual counts vary with head size and lot, so confirm before you plan a job on the figure.

Black, bright or galvanised: which finish?

For hot, humid and coastal sites, a bright nail left in damp timber will stain and corrode within weeks. Ask for a coated finish where the nail stays in the finished work. For shuttering that is stripped after the pour, plain steel is usual.

Wire nail vs concrete steel nail vs gun nail vs drive pin

If you are fixing into hard concrete and need to hold, a nail is the wrong tool. Use a pin, plug or anchor.

Where steel nails and nail washers are used

• Fixing plywood sheets to timber studs and walers in shuttering.
• Joining timber props, braces and edge boards.
• Making pallets, crates and packing cases.
• Fixing battens, frames and fit-out carpentry.
• Fixing insulation board, felt or light sheet using a nail washer under the head.

How do you choose the right nail?

1. Measure the thickness of the piece you are fixing.
2. A common carpenter rule is a nail about two and a half to three times that thickness, so it grips well into the base piece.
3. Use thinner wire in thin boards and near edges, which split easily, and thicker wire where strength matters.
4. Choose the finish for the place of use, from the table above.
5. Add washers where the material is soft or you want a wider bearing.

The most common mistake is a nail so long that the point comes out the far side, or so short it barely grips. Ordering only by inch and ignoring wire gauge is the second.

What to buy together with steel nails

Many buyers pair nails with GI binding wire for rebar tying and bolts, nuts and washers for heavier joints. For fixing into concrete, see wall plugs. The full range sits in fasteners, anchors and fixings.

How to request a quote

Send nail length, wire gauge if you know it, finish, quantity in kilograms or cartons, whether you need washers, and your delivery area through the contact page or by phone.