Now, I tie the shackles on the halyards; no splice - now wear. So far no wear on the knots either.
What kind of knot do you use? I use an anchor hitch that is tight to the shackle, can be worked loose if necessary, has never come loose on its own and you only have to cut about 6 inches off to retie when clutch wear becomes apparent.
Anchor Hitch Link
