Gee, the pins have always been very tight (I've only shortened a chain without using a chain tool once or twice. I've done it with a chain tool many times). Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I've put a lot of miles on a lot of chain over the years and never had one come apart. When using a chain tool to put a chain back together, you can feel it when the pin pops into place. I always assumed that this was just the way it's done.