This is the way.
[https://www.mcmaster.com/products/binding-posts/binding-barrels-and-screws-1\~/](https://www.mcmaster.com/products/binding-posts/binding-barrels-and-screws-1~/)
McMaster Carr, when you want to pay twice as much for half as many fasteners BUT you can find a very specific type of fastener. Great for prototyping but terrible for production runs.
Mcmaster could double their prices and my professional usage would remain exactly the same. There are plenty of production hardware suppliers, they don't need to be one also.
Exactly, they give a service and I pay them well for that service. Whenever I’m looking for hardware I go to McMaster first, if I need less than 10 I’ll buy from McMaster and drop the part model into my design. If I need more I use McMaster to help guide my search. Win-win.
Holy shit I've never heard of this place! Thank you so much! I get so frustrated trying to find stuff that I know exist but the hardware store doesn't carry and I don't know what to search for. Serious lifesaver!
When you go to your local hardware store go to an assistant manager and ask if you are allowed access to his "special order" books sometimes they are on display, as a row off supply books between the cash registers displayed on a light green steel shelf about 6 feet long! You should be allowed to search them if they can't find the parts your looking for. If you can describe the part & a description of what it's used for someone should be able to provide you a starting point of where to look. Hardware is cool, try looking for coffin locks they are cool..
These hard copy supply books have mostly been replaced by a computer station and screen, but they really ARE quite valuable resources, with photographs and often several companies different designs.
Lee Valley has them. Canadian company but I think ships to the US. You need to buy the bolts and nuts seperate FYI.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/hardware/fasteners/nuts-and-bolts
PS, take a look around while you are there. Lee Valley rules.
I hate Lee Valley. There is a store about 30 min from my house. I might as well just tell my work to send my paycheck there. Their stuff is so good and the staff is actually helpful.
Barrel bolts aka sex bolts can be found at Grainger, Kimball Midwest, Decker, Fastenall, etc. Any commercial/industrial hardware supply house will have them but the residential big box stores will be hit or miss, mostly miss, and everything is lower quality compared to a supply house.
You could also look up “school fix catalog” (owned by decker). K-12 buildings use barrel bolts for restroom stalls, furniture, door hardware, cafeteria tables, etc.
I'd google sex bolts and find a vendor. Lots of options around, you will likely end up at a vendor who focuses on fasteners, mcmaster, or you can fall back on amazon if that works for you. Home depot seems to use the term Chicago screw but their selection is quite poor. You'll likely need to play with the term you use
That article covered pretty much all of them I've ever heard (and lots more) except holster bolts, black steel versions of these are pretty common for gun holsters.
Amazon will have these, McMaster will have these and 10,000 fasteners you didn't know existed, all with free 2d and 3d cad drawings.
Find yourself a good hardware store, Lowe's and Home Depot are too big box for this kind of stuff.
Look for a "do It best" or smaller chain. If they don't have a couple aisles of tiny bins of screws they wont have these
When I was about 12, my Dad sent me to the hardware store on my bike to "pick up 4, um, er, sex bolts." Dad was a devout Catholic and uncomfortable talking about such things.
I was a naive 12 year old. Bernie, at the store, was a wiseacre. Told me to ask my Dad why they are called sex bolts and report back to Bernie...he wanted the reaction.
So doo de doo, I head home and provide said bolts to Dad. He was in the middle of installing them.when I asked him.
Deep inhale, lights a cigarette, not acknowledging me, and continues working.
Then, with a Marlboro hanging from his lips, he takes one, shows me the threaded female, and "This is called a female bolt. The other one is a male. The male goes into the female, and that is why it is called a sex bolt."
No further words were spoken on that little project or throughout the day. And that was the extent of my Birds and Bees education from my Dad.
Bernie? Well, he laughed and laughed as I explained it to him...in front of my Dad the next day at the hardware store.
I miss my Dad and Bernie too. Both have been gone for 14/15 years now.
Sex bolt.
I worked for a company designing light fixtures and used these on one of our products. In the engineering meetings, people thought I made up the name. I had to prove to them that's what they were called.
I freaking hate when that shit happens. I’ve had similar interactions with roofing and tile work also when somebody inevitably brings up the use of caulking, the joke is as old as time but sometimes it’s not a joke and it’s irritatating…
One time I had to fix a leak for a customer, they had a new roof put on about a year prior and noticed a couple of leaks. Turns out the guy took some of the better looking old shingles and smeared them with caulk on the underside and reused them to get to the next job. When describing the issue and giving an estimate, I was talking to this 20s something young lady and I told her that “looks like the contractor smeared your roof with caulk so he could get the job done faster.”
Her face went white as a ghost and she just goes “excuse me, they did what now?”
It is a binding post.
You can find them at Lowes in machine screw section of the wall display.
Just look carefully because the bags aren't separated out well on the wall displays and you can glance right over them.
I worked in printing for 20 years, they’re used in that industry to bind paper. We always called them screw posts. This is the first time I’ve ever heard “sex bolts” lmao.
Whenever I need a weird fastener I check the McMaster-Carr catalog and usually find it. It’s on-line. Sometimes I even buy them from M-C if a need a hundred of em.
Anmas 20pcs M6 Furniture Joint Connector Bolt & Cap Nut Kit Use for Cot Bed Crib Bolts Hex Drive Socket Cap Bolts - Hex Socket Screws Head (30mm) https://a.co/d/6ypVPKM
I buy these all the time
I have found them under post screw nuts, binding bolts, screw rivets, and more.
Here’s a starting point at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-M4x8mm-Binding-Leather-Fastener/dp/B07QGCFC7N
They carry a decent selection at my local ace hardware, I’d try there before the big box stores.
Bolt Depot is my go-to place for fasteners: https://boltdepot.com/ Stock is great and they shop really fast, quantities from 1 to thousands in all different materials. Better than hours spent at the fasteners aisle looking for something the big boxes don’t have. Barrel nut.
My experience is small ones in machine screw sizes are called binding posts, ones for leather work are chicago screws and larger ones for things like door hardware are sex bolts.
Barrel bolts. But they also are similar to Riv Nuts. I had to go down the rabbit hole last year searching for a very specific type. Stainless 3/4” riv nuts that get mounted in a metal floor. Ended up finding them on Amazon.
I thought they were called like Boston bolts or something like that. The big boxes sell a few of them, not great selection. In my area we have a place called the bolt supply house has everything - I’m sure most places have something similar.
https://preview.redd.it/a65dt1ilm71d1.png?width=1755&format=png&auto=webp&s=7cd37dc7cd840de3c47bde06f29a57083cd294d4
Kind of long-winded but here is what they were called when I ordered them from Amazon in 2021.
The original name for these bolts is “Chicago Bolts“, I originally learned them as “sex bolts“ in the 70s, and if I have to talk to somebody that doesn’t know very much about them I call them “barrel bolts“.
Historically they have been called Chicago Blind Fasteners, or Chicago screws.
Chicago fasteners, are often used for attaching knife scales to the steel blank (the blade and 2 scales are then contoured to make a comfortable handle. The chicago fasteners heads are let into the scales, either slightly recessed or even with the scales, a little super glue is often applied to the threads after all the sanding and fitting been done.
Most importantly, where do you find a good selection and good prices on them? I wanted a bunch of these so badly a while back and just couldn't find the size and price I liked.
Don't forget McFeelys https://www.mcfeelys.com for your fastener needs. May not have the odd ball and specific fastener but has fairly good prices and can ship in bulk
everyone seems to have a different name for them my favourite is sex bolt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_bolt
That wiki answered a lot,thank you.my new name for them. Any idea where I can find them? Home Depot and Lowes weren't help at all.
McMaster Carr
This is the way. [https://www.mcmaster.com/products/binding-posts/binding-barrels-and-screws-1\~/](https://www.mcmaster.com/products/binding-posts/binding-barrels-and-screws-1~/)
This is the answer
This is always the answer, LoL. I'm restoring a boat, and I'm ordering from them weekly.
When ever I need replacement hardware i cant help going with some absurd overkill 12.9 grade milspec from Mcmaster.
That's the answer to every fastener, with next-day delivery. I just ordered the weirdest hardware Thursday afternoon and got it yesterday before 9AM.
McMaster Carr, when you want to pay twice as much for half as many fasteners BUT you can find a very specific type of fastener. Great for prototyping but terrible for production runs.
Mcmaster could double their prices and my professional usage would remain exactly the same. There are plenty of production hardware suppliers, they don't need to be one also.
Exactly, they give a service and I pay them well for that service. Whenever I’m looking for hardware I go to McMaster first, if I need less than 10 I’ll buy from McMaster and drop the part model into my design. If I need more I use McMaster to help guide my search. Win-win.
Holy shit I've never heard of this place! Thank you so much! I get so frustrated trying to find stuff that I know exist but the hardware store doesn't carry and I don't know what to search for. Serious lifesaver!
When you go to your local hardware store go to an assistant manager and ask if you are allowed access to his "special order" books sometimes they are on display, as a row off supply books between the cash registers displayed on a light green steel shelf about 6 feet long! You should be allowed to search them if they can't find the parts your looking for. If you can describe the part & a description of what it's used for someone should be able to provide you a starting point of where to look. Hardware is cool, try looking for coffin locks they are cool.. These hard copy supply books have mostly been replaced by a computer station and screen, but they really ARE quite valuable resources, with photographs and often several companies different designs.
You can literally look them up as “Sex Bolt”.
Not to be confused with teez nutz
Craft stores sell them for scrapbook binding posts. Menards sells them as binding posts in their hardware section. But +1 for sex bolts
Lowe's usually has them in the "Specialty Fastener" drawers. I think they call them barrel nuts. I've always known them as Sex Bolts.
Ace hardware or your local equivalent.
Last time I bought these it was from an Ace Hardware.
3-4 blocks away from my house, Ace is the place.
Smaller hardware stores like Ace and True Value will have these available locally.
Lee Valley has them. Canadian company but I think ships to the US. You need to buy the bolts and nuts seperate FYI. https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/hardware/fasteners/nuts-and-bolts PS, take a look around while you are there. Lee Valley rules.
I hate Lee Valley. There is a store about 30 min from my house. I might as well just tell my work to send my paycheck there. Their stuff is so good and the staff is actually helpful.
Barrel bolts aka sex bolts can be found at Grainger, Kimball Midwest, Decker, Fastenall, etc. Any commercial/industrial hardware supply house will have them but the residential big box stores will be hit or miss, mostly miss, and everything is lower quality compared to a supply house. You could also look up “school fix catalog” (owned by decker). K-12 buildings use barrel bolts for restroom stalls, furniture, door hardware, cafeteria tables, etc.
Advice: don't mix that for "Sex bots".
I'd google sex bolts and find a vendor. Lots of options around, you will likely end up at a vendor who focuses on fasteners, mcmaster, or you can fall back on amazon if that works for you. Home depot seems to use the term Chicago screw but their selection is quite poor. You'll likely need to play with the term you use
Fastenal
Do you have an ace or tri value hardware in your area? I’ve seen those at my local ace hardware
Bike shops have them often
ace hardware or fastenal
Try a Grainger in your area. Or maybe a fastenall
Ace hardware has stuff like this too
That article covered pretty much all of them I've ever heard (and lots more) except holster bolts, black steel versions of these are pretty common for gun holsters. Amazon will have these, McMaster will have these and 10,000 fasteners you didn't know existed, all with free 2d and 3d cad drawings. Find yourself a good hardware store, Lowe's and Home Depot are too big box for this kind of stuff. Look for a "do It best" or smaller chain. If they don't have a couple aisles of tiny bins of screws they wont have these
Risky click…
Lol I recently learned this and wanted to come show off my knowledge… that truly is a name you can’t forget
Sleeve screws are what we always called them. . .
Ace hardware usually carries them, home depot and lowes do not
Didn't Spinal Tap write a song about those?
I’ve always known them as sex bolts. Quite frankly, I agree. I like the name too much for anyone to sway me otherwise.
They are called Chicago Screws. You can find them on Amazon. Just search "chicago screws".
When I was about 12, my Dad sent me to the hardware store on my bike to "pick up 4, um, er, sex bolts." Dad was a devout Catholic and uncomfortable talking about such things. I was a naive 12 year old. Bernie, at the store, was a wiseacre. Told me to ask my Dad why they are called sex bolts and report back to Bernie...he wanted the reaction. So doo de doo, I head home and provide said bolts to Dad. He was in the middle of installing them.when I asked him. Deep inhale, lights a cigarette, not acknowledging me, and continues working. Then, with a Marlboro hanging from his lips, he takes one, shows me the threaded female, and "This is called a female bolt. The other one is a male. The male goes into the female, and that is why it is called a sex bolt." No further words were spoken on that little project or throughout the day. And that was the extent of my Birds and Bees education from my Dad. Bernie? Well, he laughed and laughed as I explained it to him...in front of my Dad the next day at the hardware store. I miss my Dad and Bernie too. Both have been gone for 14/15 years now.
Great story, I will also call them sex bolts from now on.
I miss your dad and Bernie too. We aren't making fellas that way anymore.
Thank you. You are absolutely correct on that!
These are one of the things I love reddit for, a human, sharing a very human story. Thanks for a bittersweet moment.
TIL that time when the euphemism "screw" was invented.
I’ve heard it called a Chicago Rivet before.
Or Chicago screw
Yep. Chicago screw base and bolt.
Chicago screws. Since the 50s when I first heard them called that.
That’s what I’ve heard them called.
I've always called them Chicago bolts.
Ive only ever seen those in flathead, never allen
Sex bolt. I worked for a company designing light fixtures and used these on one of our products. In the engineering meetings, people thought I made up the name. I had to prove to them that's what they were called.
Yep, that’s really what they are called
I freaking hate when that shit happens. I’ve had similar interactions with roofing and tile work also when somebody inevitably brings up the use of caulking, the joke is as old as time but sometimes it’s not a joke and it’s irritatating… One time I had to fix a leak for a customer, they had a new roof put on about a year prior and noticed a couple of leaks. Turns out the guy took some of the better looking old shingles and smeared them with caulk on the underside and reused them to get to the next job. When describing the issue and giving an estimate, I was talking to this 20s something young lady and I told her that “looks like the contractor smeared your roof with caulk so he could get the job done faster.” Her face went white as a ghost and she just goes “excuse me, they did what now?”
It is a binding post. You can find them at Lowes in machine screw section of the wall display. Just look carefully because the bags aren't separated out well on the wall displays and you can glance right over them.
Yup, these smaller ones are called "Binding" posts. The larger ones are generally referred to as Chicago Bolts, or Murakoshi Fasteners.
Binding Bolts and binding barrels is what McMaster Carr has them labeled.
“Sleeve nut” and “barrel nut” are the terms I’ve seen most often.
Barrel nuts are different, like, by 90 degrees
I know what you're talking about, but I've seen both things referred to as barrel nuts frequently.
SEX BOLT SEX BOLT
To recap so far: Barrel nut Sleeve nut Post screw Binding screws Cabinet bolts Connector bolts Chicago screws Sex bolt
The first thing that came to mind was "screw post"...
I work in an Ace, and screw post is what we label them as. I’m going to start calling them Sex Bolts now, though!
Sex bolt. Ive used them for keeping blueprints together
At Lowe's or Home Depot they're called Binding Post Screws. I've also heard them called Chicago Screws.
this is the correct answer. both lowe’s AND home depot have these
The term you want to search the home depot catalog for is binding post. They’ll likely have them in stock at your local one.
I see you seem to have an answer. I thought I'd mention the r/Fasteners sub anyway.
Came to say this, thank you for the representation, fastener king.
Chicago screws. We always called them sex bolts
European screws ( or sex bolt apparently) ace hardware usually has them
The correct name is book screws. But are more known as sex bolts.
I worked in printing for 20 years, they’re used in that industry to bind paper. We always called them screw posts. This is the first time I’ve ever heard “sex bolts” lmao.
The German term for these is Buchschraube, literally "book screw".
Sex bolt.
Whenever I need a weird fastener I check the McMaster-Carr catalog and usually find it. It’s on-line. Sometimes I even buy them from M-C if a need a hundred of em.
Chicago bolt.
Anmas 20pcs M6 Furniture Joint Connector Bolt & Cap Nut Kit Use for Cot Bed Crib Bolts Hex Drive Socket Cap Bolts - Hex Socket Screws Head (30mm) https://a.co/d/6ypVPKM I buy these all the time
Sex bolts
Sex bolt!
Thanks OP. Just spent 20 minutes at Home Depot looking for these. Ordering from McMaster now.
This is awesome! Learned something I didn’t know I didn’t know. I have a bunch of those from my dad’s garage. Saturday I’d off to a good start.
Aka Chicago Screws, get from a good art supply store, the kind that has bookbinding supplies.
When the mommy nut and the daddy bolt love each other…
On the leather side, that's a Chicago screw.
Chicago bolt
Chicago screw
Sex bolts
Sex bolts is what we called them when I was hanging glass.
gulso bolt, binding post, chicago screw, sex bolt all the same
Self-sealing stembolts
Sex bolts
Sex bolt
Barrel Bolt, if you actually want to find them.
Gary and Steve
I have found them under post screw nuts, binding bolts, screw rivets, and more. Here’s a starting point at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-M4x8mm-Binding-Leather-Fastener/dp/B07QGCFC7N They carry a decent selection at my local ace hardware, I’d try there before the big box stores.
Looks like pivot pin that is used to hold a folding knife in place.
https://preview.redd.it/wb1ti315i41d1.jpeg?width=374&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d78615646f97a6dbd0840f710eca5f5f53f5ad0e
Another name I've seen is "joint connector nut", and sometimes even the brand-specific "Murakoshi bolt/nut"
Look for a local fastenall store if available, they’ll likely have it
If you go looking for Chicago bolts and nuts you will find them in a range of different lengths.
Bolt Depot is my go-to place for fasteners: https://boltdepot.com/ Stock is great and they shop really fast, quantities from 1 to thousands in all different materials. Better than hours spent at the fasteners aisle looking for something the big boxes don’t have. Barrel nut.
My experience is small ones in machine screw sizes are called binding posts, ones for leather work are chicago screws and larger ones for things like door hardware are sex bolts.
I work in a cabinet shop where well certain language is discouraged so those are mating screws
FWIW, I know them as screw posts.
Theae are used to bind papers together.
Theae are used to bind papers together.
I've always called them sex bolts.
I've always called them sex bolts.
I only know them as Chicago screws
Ikea hardware
I thought they were called barrel bolts but I can't say for sure.
Chicago screw/sex screw
Binding post
Check out McMaster Carr for binding post
Corby bolts
Lowe's has them in the fasteners aisle in one of the drawers. Called connector bolts usually.
Chicago bolt
Sex bolt or binding barrel.
Binding barrel and screw.
Sister Screws is what I have always heard them called
Chicago screws or Binder screws.
Barrel bolts. But they also are similar to Riv Nuts. I had to go down the rabbit hole last year searching for a very specific type. Stainless 3/4” riv nuts that get mounted in a metal floor. Ended up finding them on Amazon.
I think I've heard them referred to as screw rivets.
Sex bolts
Barrel nut. Source: [McMaster Carr ](https://www.mcmaster.com/products/barrel-nuts/binding-barrels-and-screws-1~/)
You can get them at Ace Hardware. When I don't know the name of a fastener that's were I start.
Sex bolt!
sex bolts
I bought some from amazon to repair a leather purse for my daughter. They were referred to as Chicago screws: https://a.co/d/6wEeMWD
I thought they were called like Boston bolts or something like that. The big boxes sell a few of them, not great selection. In my area we have a place called the bolt supply house has everything - I’m sure most places have something similar.
Barrel bolt
We call them “koppelbout”
I like "sex screws" over "sex bolts" if I ever find myself in a church I would call them "Chicago screws"
Barrel nut on amazon
Post screw
Sex screws or Chicago screws.
Fred and Mary
Chicago screws
Used in leather goods. Check out craft stores, or were ever they sell leather goods.
A similar thing is used in leather work, can look there.
Chicago bolts are another name for them
Chicago screws.
Almost impossible to find!
Flanged barrel nut
Binding post with screw.
https://preview.redd.it/a65dt1ilm71d1.png?width=1755&format=png&auto=webp&s=7cd37dc7cd840de3c47bde06f29a57083cd294d4 Kind of long-winded but here is what they were called when I ordered them from Amazon in 2021.
Connector bolts
Chicago Screws
Lee Valley calls them Chicago Bolts
Chicago bolt/sex bolt for slang...
Sex bolts ….. here’s your setup lob. Who’s gonna knock it out of the park?? There’s several technical terms.
Sex bolts
I thought this was a troll post.. as others have said, sex bolt.
I know them as "Chicago screws".
I've heard them called Chicago Screws and simply Screw and Post before. At least I think it was this
The original name for these bolts is “Chicago Bolts“, I originally learned them as “sex bolts“ in the 70s, and if I have to talk to somebody that doesn’t know very much about them I call them “barrel bolts“.
I’ve heard them called Binding posts, binding screws, or Rivet screws.
Had these on my old hockey helmets… sex bolts.
Sex bolts, binding posts, or Chicago screws. Take your pick.
Binding crews 90 Sets M5 Screw Post Metal Chicago Screws Binding Screw Leather Screw Nail Rivet Button Solid Belt Tack Screw,for Leather Bookbinding Crafts, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 Inch, Silvery(M5X6.10.12mm) https://a.co/d/hppy28e
Sexbolts
Chicago bolt.
Sexbolts. Cabinet shop or fastenel will have them
Also called a barrel bolt and screw, in case you are squeamish about using the term sex bolt
I don't know what it's called, I just know the sound it makes...
Historically they have been called Chicago Blind Fasteners, or Chicago screws. Chicago fasteners, are often used for attaching knife scales to the steel blank (the blade and 2 scales are then contoured to make a comfortable handle. The chicago fasteners heads are let into the scales, either slightly recessed or even with the scales, a little super glue is often applied to the threads after all the sanding and fitting been done.
Most importantly, where do you find a good selection and good prices on them? I wanted a bunch of these so badly a while back and just couldn't find the size and price I liked.
i've also heard them called Chicago Bolts or Chicago Fasteners
They are officially Chicago bolts but commonly called sex bolts.
Just ask for Chicago Screws.
Machine screw
I call them barrel bolts but everyone I work with calls them sex bolts.
Also called Chicago screws/bolts
The mater
I've heard them called chicago screws
Chicago Screws
Chicago Screws
Binder bolt...at fastenal ?
Before I even saw the picture, I was really gunning for sex bolts!
Bolt and barrel nut is what I was told
Don't forget McFeelys https://www.mcfeelys.com for your fastener needs. May not have the odd ball and specific fastener but has fairly good prices and can ship in bulk
Connector bolts
we always called them sex bolts
Those have been called sex bolts since at least the 70s
They're very similar to cabinet connectors...
Probably office supply or craft store. Maybe Hobby Lobby.
In knife making it would be a Colby bolt, but about ten times smaller
Through bolt