You need to make sure your getting genuine Breakaway Spin or Fast Links. There has been a problem in the past with "knock offs"
in the Breakaway packaging. The originals should be a heavy gague stainless, if yours were a blackish color they were most likely chineese knock offs. If you go to the Breakaway UK site tyhere is a long statement about this problem with knock offs.
As far as not trusting them I have caught stripers to 48# and red drum approaching 60# from the surf using the smaller spin links with 0 problems.