Challenge Upholstery Tacks – 500g Box

Our Challenge Upholstery Tacks are a traditional upholstery essential, used for fixing fabrics, calico, webbing, hessian and other upholstery materials to wooden frames.

Supplied in a practical 500g box, these blued cut tacks are strong, reliable and suitable for both professional upholstery work and home furniture restoration projects. They provide a secure hold while helping achieve a neat, traditional finish.

Available in a choice of sizes, with Fine and Improved Head options, these tacks allow you to choose the right fixing for the material and the job.

Traditional Upholstery Tacks for Fabric, Webbing & Frame Work

Upholstery tacks are still widely used in traditional upholstery because they offer excellent control and a strong mechanical fixing. They are ideal when working on chairs, stools, headboards, antique furniture, restoration projects and soft furnishing work.

The key is choosing the correct tack size. A tack should be long enough to hold securely, but not so long that it risks splitting the frame or causing unnecessary damage. As a general rule, use the smallest tack that will do the job properly.

Choosing the Right Upholstery Tack Size

6mm Upholstery Tacks

6mm tacks are best for lighter and more delicate upholstery work.

Ideal for:

• Fine fabric fixing
• Lightweight calico
• Delicate trim work
• Small upholstery repairs
• Jobs where a shallow fixing is needed

10mm & 13mm Upholstery Tacks

10mm and 13mm tacks are the most commonly used sizes for general upholstery fixing.

Ideal for:

• General fabric fixing
• Calico and hessian
• Chair seats
• Light to medium upholstery work
• Traditional furniture restoration

These are good all-round sizes for everyday upholstery use.

16mm Upholstery Tacks

16mm tacks provide a deeper fixing and are useful where extra grip is needed.

Ideal for:

• Webbing
• Heavier calico or hessian
• Slightly thicker upholstery layers
• Stronger frame fixing

20mm & 25mm Upholstery Tacks

20mm and 25mm tacks are suited to heavier-duty work where a longer fixing is required.

Ideal for:

• Multiple fabric layers
• Heavy upholstery materials
• Webbing and heavier frame work
• Restoration jobs requiring a stronger bite

Use longer tacks carefully, especially on older or thinner frames, as too much length can split timber.

Fine Head or Improved Head?

Fine Upholstery Tacks

Fine tacks are best suited to lighter upholstery work where a smaller, neater head is preferred.

They are commonly used for:

• Calico
• Top fabrics
• Lightweight materials
• Neater visible or semi-visible fixing work

Improved Head Upholstery Tacks

Improved head tacks have a larger head, making them better for materials that need a stronger hold.

They are commonly used for:

• Webbing
• Hessian
• Heavier fabrics
• Stronger upholstery fixing
• Traditional frame work

Key Features & Benefits

✅ Supplied in a practical 500g box
✅ Traditional blued cut upholstery tacks
✅ Available in multiple sizes for different fixing jobs
✅ Fine and Improved Head options available
✅ Suitable for fabric, calico, hessian and webbing
✅ Ideal for upholstery, restoration and furniture repair
✅ Strong mechanical fixing for wooden frames
✅ Suitable for professional and DIY upholstery work

Complete Your Upholstery Toolkit

Pair your Challenge Upholstery Tacks with our wider range of upholstery tools, tack hammers, wooden mallets, webbing, hessian, Dacron, upholstery sundries and foam cut to size to complete your project properly from frame to finish.