Split ringA double loop of wire, also called a key ring. Keys slide on at an end of the wire.
ChainA short length of links between the clasp and the split ring.
Lobster claspA fastener held closed by a spring. A small lever opens it.
FobA decorative piece carried with the keys, also called a key fob.
KeyHangs on the split ring by the hole in its head.
Up close 3
SwivelA joint that turns, so the chain does not twist.
Jump ringA small ring of wire with one cut. It opens and closes with pliers.
EyeletA ring set into the hole in the fob. The jump ring passes through it.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, text only: Keychain (a ring or chain to which keys or fobs are attached; the keyring or split ring, a double loop; the key fob; ends that rotate so the keychain does not twist), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keychain; Lobster clasp (held closed by a spring, opened with a small lever, used on keychains), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobster_clasp. (2) Craft books and one catalog, their keychain and key fob projects read through the Internet Archive's full-text search: https://archive.org/details/leatherjewelry350000pete (eyelets, split ring, jump ring, swivel lobster clasp, the hole in the key); https://archive.org/details/fatquarteraccess0000john (key fob, eyelet, chain, split ring, jump ring, lobster swivel clip); https://archive.org/details/upcycledjewelryb0000pete (keychain: large split ring, chain, swivel trigger snap; lobster clasp, jump ring); https://archive.org/details/Jewelry_Stringing_Winter_2016 (keychain: split ring, swivel lobster clasp); https://archive.org/details/american-science-surplus-catalog-archive (a key fob with chain and split ring). Hints and detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's product, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
Eight names on one keychain: the split ring that holds the keys, the chain, the lobster clasp, the fob and a key, then the swivel, the jump ring and the eyelet seen up close.
Read the full guide
From the clasp to the keys
The lobster clasp is held closed by a spring and opens with a small lever. Behind it, a swivel turns so the chain does not twist. The chain ends at the split ring, a double loop of wire that the keys slide onto.
How the fob hangs
A fob is a decorative piece carried with the keys. Here a jump ring links it to the split ring, passing through an eyelet set in the top of the fob.
Split ring or jump ring? The split ring is a double loop; the jump ring is a single loop with one cut.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a keychain called?
The ring that holds the keys is the split ring, or key ring. A chain joins it to a clasp, often a lobster clasp on a swivel. The decorative piece is the fob, hung here by a jump ring through an eyelet.
What is the ring on a keychain called?
A split ring, also called a key ring: one piece of metal wound into a double loop. An end of the loop is pried open and the key slides along the wire until it is fully on the ring.
What is a key fob?
A key fob is a mostly decorative item carried with keys, on a ring or a chain. The word can also mean the electronic remote for a car.
What is the clip on a keychain called?
On this keychain it is a lobster clasp: a fastener held closed by a spring and opened with a small lever. It is named for its shape, like the claw of a lobster.