The development of Eurocode 5, the future European timber design code which is based on the partial safety coefficient method, means a change of timber design code formats in a number of European countries. Because of the change in the code format from allowable values towards partial safety coefficients, characteristic values of strength and stiffness of materials and connections are needed. In order to establish characteristic values of the strength and stiffness of ring and shear-plate connections, existing test data have been evaluated. The results of the evaluation correspond well to a mechanical model assuming a shear block failure of the wood as the governing failure mode.