What type of weights are used?

Carriage bolts, or bolts, are the most common weights used for flags. When deciding how heavy you want the flag to be, we actually use the length of the bolt to determine this. Since they come in various lengths, this makes it easy to really pick out the perfect weighting for you or your team.

How heavy is each bolt?

Each Carriage Bolt length adds it's own specific weight, but these are all 7/8” in diameter:

  • 1.5" bolt – 1.3 oz
  • 2″ bolt – 1.6 oz
  • 3″ bolt – 2.1 oz
  • 4″ bolt – 2.6 oz
  • 6” bolt - 3.6 oz

What length is most common?

Flags that have a solid color or digital print will usually be lighter and require less weight in the flag pole; so a 1.5" inch or 2" inch bolt in the top (silk side) and nothing in the bottom (pole side) would work well for these types of silks.

Flags that are sewn, have multiple seams, or made of lamé are usually heavier. For these heavier silks, adding a bit more weight to the flag pole might be necessary to ensure it rotates smoothly; so a 3" inch bolt in the top (silk side) and a 1.5" inch bolt in the bottom (pole side) would work wonderfully here.

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What weights do I use?

I use a 3" inch bolt in the silk side and a 1.5" inch bolt in the pole side; both 7/8” diameter. This is for a standard 6' foot pole with a 36" inch x  54" inch silk. I use this weighting for both winter and outdoor seasons. During the outdoor seasons, a heavier weight is more ideal due to weather playing a large factor in many areas.

Here is an example of what this weighting looks like in rotation:


How should you weight your flag?

As a starting point, a good rule of thumb is 100% silk side, 50% pole side. So random example, if you used a 4” inch bolt in the top, 50% of that would mean a 2” inch bolt in the bottom. This assures at the base line, that you always have a counterweight working to help the silk travel around. 

Like mentioned above, my personal recommendation would be a 3" inch bolt in the silk side and a 1.5" inch bolt in the pole side; both 7/8” diameter, but you should experiment with different weights! 



Everyone will have their own preference of what works best for them, their choreography, and their students. Try different combinations until you find your best fit.