The stapler is one of the most relied upon and used desktop accessories in the office today. When a group of papers need to be bound together, sometimes there’s no method more appropriate than the trusty staple. However there are many different types of staplers which will bind your paper; so which ones best for you?

The manual desktop stapler is the most common form of staplers for paper binding. You will find this popular model in most schools, homes and offices across the globe. It is a method that has been in widespread use for decades. Found in many different styles, the manual desktop stapler commonly uses 1/4-inch metal staples which are effective in binding a moderate amount of sheets, but no more than say 20 at a time.

Electric or battery powered staplers achieve the same basic results as standard desktop staplers, however what makes them stand out from the manual model, is their efficiency.  The motorised stapler is usually applied when dealing with large quantities of paper, saving time and effort. As well as boasting efficiency, the electric stapler also ensures an accurate result every time, whilst preventing wear and tear to the user’s hands!

However there will always be times when a standard stapler isn’t enough. With large piles of papers and plenty of them tormenting you from the corner of your desk, what else is there to turn to other than the heavy-duty stapler! These convenient models are capable of stapling many more sheets together than the manual or electric, standard stapler and can bind more than 100 documents with very little effort involved.

But how does the stapler work?

A stapler, in short, forces a small, thin piece of bendable wire, (a ‘staple’) down through the guide. Staples are loaded into what is called the ‘magazine’ making sure that the two points are facing down and that the spring is pulled back to make room for the strip of staples. The spring creates tension which pushes the staples toward the front of the stapler. When paper is placed between the guide and the anvil, pressure is applied to the head of the stapler, forcing the staple to pierce the pages until they come into contact with the anvil. The anvil has small, curved grooves so that the ends of the staple are forced into this groove, where the pressure forces them to bend. The wire then bends inwards (or outwards depending on the stapler), creating a lock around the pages.

The paper clip is a clever and underestimated little device found in most premises across the world which holds several sheets of paper together by means of pressure (among other uses). It leaves the paper intact and can be easily removed. But who invented this simple, very basic yet irreplaceable tiny wire loop? It turns out that over a short space of time, there were many claims for the invention of the paper clip, however according to the Early Office Museum, the first patent for a bent wire paper clip was awarded in the United States to Samuel B. Fay, in 1867. The clip was actually intended for attaching tickets to fabric, although the patent acknowledged that it could also be used to attach papers together. Fay received U.S. patent 64,088 on April 23, 1867. Another prominent paper clip design was also patented in the United States by a man named Erlman J. Wright in 1877. This clip was intended at that time for use with fastening newspapers.

The paper clip gradually evolved to fill the specific need of fastening large amounts of paper in order to hold sheets together. Binding was not a practical solution for keeping just a few sheets together, such as a short set of documents or receipts. Considering paper was invented sometime in the first century A.D., people managed to make do without anything like our modern paper clip until the end of the nineteenth century. Other methods of fastenings sheets included a ‘slit’ method where pages were cut in the corner, making two short parallel slits. Ribbon or string could then be threaded through these slits and the ends tied and sealed with wax. Another method was to use a straight pin and ‘pin’ the sheets together. However the slit method and the pin method both had one unavoidable drawback: the paper had to be pierced. Pin holes caused less wear on paper than slits, however if pages needed to be added or removed many times, the pinned area would be subject to a lot of wear, leading to drooping or tearing. Another drawback to the pin method was its basic nature of being sharp, which inevitable pricked many fingers over the years. Pins also tended to rust if left in place for long periods of time.

Paper clips today are a 100% reusable item, unfortunately however, many see the inside of a bin way before their time. Many recycling schemes are put into place where paper clips are required to be removed before paper is put into recycling bins. Some recyclers use metal detecting equipment which can separate staples and paper clips, enabling these items to be recycled separately. Interestingly, one paper clip industry study estimated that the vast percentage of paper clips were never used as intended (to hold paper) but instead were bent and destroyed to be used as cleaning or prying instruments. A paper clip is also a useful accessory in many kinds of mechanical work including computer work, where the metal wire is required to be unfolded. There are several devices which call for a very thin rod to push a recessed button (usually to reset the device) which the user might only rarely need. There is also the rather crude use for a paper clip involving unfolding and twisting the wire to pick locks, however we at Office 365 do not want to be seen to encourage this activity with the paper clips we sell, unless in an emergency! As paper clips are inexpensive to both manufacture and to buy; most are not re-used or recycled but are unfortunately just thrown away. Let’s hope that with recent recognition of our planets economical state, that we are all being far more responsible when it comes to the recycling of our paper clips.

Where ever you are and whatever you do, binding will play an important and regular part of your day to do life. Whether you’re at home organising your paper work or CV, a student, teacher or an administrative professional, you will at some stage need products to help you bind your documents.  Maybe you’re looking to bind a school report, company minutes or a business plan, if so, you will need to decide which binding solution is best for your needs. We have some ideas which may help you make up your mind; read through the options below and decide which is best for your document.

Binding Combs

Comb binding is a punch-binding method which is a relatively common technique used across the globe. It allows people to bind documents of varying size together by using a flexible, plastic spine. Comb binding machines have a set number of pages which can be punched at a time, so pages may have to be done a few at a time rather than feeding the entire document into the machine at once. Found commonly in schools, businesses and most office and educational facilities, an advantage of comb binding is its ability to be opened and adjusted for adding or removing pages. The binding combs can also be removed and re-used for later projects.

Binding Coils

Coil binding allows you to add appeal to important business documents. It allows your pages to conveniently wrap all the way around the spine leaving your documents flexible for mailing. Coil binding machines use spring-like coils, also known as spirals, to bind your paper, documents or booklets together. You will be left with a traditional notebook style spiral bind. The biggest difference between coil binding and the old spiral notebooks is the binding element. Our coil binding elements are made from PVC plastic rather than metal. PVC plastic coils are highly durable and do not bend or stretch with use making them last that much longer.

Staples

Stapling is possibly the simplest and most common form of binding. You can find staples in small, regular, and large industrial-sizes, industrial-sizes being thicker than the average staple, requiring a stapler that is twice the size of the average desktop stapler. Documents bound with staples are usually punched at the top left-hand corner or a few times along the left-hand margin so they can be opened like a book.

Presentation Folders

Presentation folders are found in most schools, offices and homes across the globe and can hold numerous sheets of paper. They feature metal teeth which loop through holes in punched paper and then close shut to secure them in place.

Slide Binders

Slide binders are a great way to bind documents without having to create any holes in the paper, keeping your documents in pristine condition and allowing easy access. They are a simple plastic wrap over folder which features a unique plastic slide lock. These folders typically feature a clear plastic cover and a long piece of plastic that slides onto the left hand side and locks the papers and cover in place. This form of binding is very convenient however only hold about 20 sheets of paper.

Ring Binders

Ring binders can be found everywhere and are one of the simplest and most useful forms of binding there is. They feature a plastic cover with metal clasps and come in a wide variety of sizes and styles. The most popular in the UK is the two-ring binder which accommodates the two-hole punch in loose leaf. This method can hold a large quantity of paper depending on its capacity which is widely available in many sizes. The only negative to this binding method is that it is best suited as a temporary binding method used for documents that aren’t often handled. Unless using plastic pockets, sheets will easily rip out and need to be repaired using reinforcement stickers.

String

You can use string to bind paper together and for crafts or other creative manuscripts. The string can be threaded through holes on the left-hand side of the document and tied at the top or bottom

Treasury Tags

Treasury tags or India tags are an item of stationery used to fasten sheets of paper to each other or to a folder. They consist of a piece of string, typically around 3 to 8 cm (1 to 3 in) long, both ends of which are held in the centre of a metal or plastic bar. Treasury tags are threaded through holes in paper made with a hole punch. Tags with strings of various lengths are available for fastening quantities of paper of various thicknesses.

Clips

Paper clips are an instrument used to fasten papers together consisting of a thin wire in a looped shape that takes advantage of the elasticity and strength of the materials of its construction (usually steel or some other metal, but sometimes plastic) to compress and hold together two or more pieces of paper.

With identity fraud at an all time high, it has become crucial for every business and household to shred their personal documents and sensitive information. Identity fraud is a real threat to us all today, almost every week we hear of a story reaching the news that relates to the loss or misuse of personal information. It doesn’t matter who you are; it’s unsettling to know that your information is vulnerable and that it could happen to you. It is fundamentally imperative that we all take steps to protect ourselves and those around us. Once your identity has been stolen, that criminal can live a life under your name, ruin your credit scoring and ultimately damage your reputation. They may even commit fraud or other crimes in your identity and potentially this will affect every aspect of your life. With around 4.4 million victims in the UK and Ireland alone, the chances are you will know someone who has been affected.

We are all aware that thieves cannot steal what they cannot read and for this reason the only reasonable step we can take is to completely dispose of personal and confidential information so that it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. Experts agree that shredding is the best way to dispose of sensitive information and at Office 365 we have quite a few.

To prolong the use of these vital tools, paper shredders need to be maintained. We have some hints here which will help you save money in doing so. Ignoring the simple steps can cost you greatly in new parts, labour and even a new shredder. Shredder oil need only be used every 3 or 4 uses when shredding paper, however you must take great care to follow these steps, otherwise you may end up using the entire bottle within just a week!

1. To avoid paper jams in your shredder, avoid shredding objects that might cause a jam. These could include staples, paper clips and tape. Check the paper you are shredding to make sure that it’s nice and flat so it will be easy to shred. Creased or folded paper can often be difficult to shred.
2. When you’ve removed any objects which may cause a jam, divide the paper you wish to shred into smaller sections. Your paper shredder should state its capacity somewhere on the side, or refer to the manual. If you are unable to locate this information, don’t take the risk. Shred small amounts and always shred less than the recommended value. If your machine has a limit of 20, we recommend that you shred no more than 15 sheets. Be kind to your shredder and it will be kind to you.
3. When you have finished shredding your paper, always empty the basket. This step is often forgotten and can result in the paper working its way back up into the shredder engine, jamming your machine. Shredder sacks can come in very useful when collecting your shredded paper.
4. To avoid paper jams in your shredder, you should oil it after every 3-4 uses. Shredder oil is available in both oil bottle and oil sheet formats and can be found here at Office 365. Without the use of this oil, small pieces of paper can become lodged in the machine resulting in friction which inevitable will cause a paper jam. Oiling your shredder regularly will ensure that the paper slides right to the blades and doesn’t get stuck on its way out.

With the way technology is progressing in this day and age, the stapler has joined the rest of the world and gone electric. In fact the electric stapler is actually just as popular if not more so, than the manual one. Our customers have been asking us why they should invest in this new hi-tech paper fastening tool and what we explain to them are the differences between the manual and the electric. This way they can make up their own minds. Today however, we are focussing on the electric option. Take a look at the five reasons why you should buy an electric stapler for your office.

• Variety – At Office 365 you’ll find a huge variety of electric staplers each with different features and suitable for varied budgets so you’re sure to find one that’s perfect for your office.
• Ergonomics - Manual staplers are a pain to use in more ways than one. This is especially true when you need to staple long documents or vast quantities of them. They cause sore hands and with continued use they even directly contribute to repetitive motion conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Alternatively, the electric stapler does all the work for you, leaving you completely free from pain and eradicating the pain-in-the-bum job.
• Time – Manual stapling can take a long time when you’re working with a big stack of papers. However when using an electric device, it will fasten your pages together in a split second. Electric staplers get the job done in minimal time freeing up employees to get on with more important tasks. Saving time of course saves you money, so your initial investment will soon be repaid. Just imagine how productive your office could be if you had an electric stapler!
• Capacity – Generally electric staplers can fasten more pages together than a manual stapler. In fact some can staple upwards of 70 sheets at once, making them perfect for when you’re working with thick documents.
• Accuracy – When stapling large quantities of paper by hand, the chances are you’ll make some mistakes. Common problems include; staples being too close to the edge of the paper, too far away and even crushed if you’re trying to staple more sheets that your little manual stapler can handle. The electric stapler can solve this problem as it is accurate every time without fail.

The featured stapler is the Rapid 5020e Electric Stapler.

This revolutionary 5020e electric stapler with cassette loading is equipped with a precision laser for exact stapling, plus the cassette also has a low staple indicator. This innovative machine is extremely helpful; the final staples in the cassette are red in colour to alert the user! With its three possible ways of stapling, this machine is exceptionally unique and flexible. The 5020 cassette holds 1500 staples and the machine itself can staple 20 sheets of 80 gsm paper and 15 sheets of colour paper. At the moment you can save yourself 39% on this stapler picking it up for just £95.59! That’s an incredible £60.45 off!

The Green Bit

Isaberg Rapid has had a long serving commitment to working with environmental issues. In 1999 the operations at the Swedish plant were certified according to ISO 14001 the international specification for environmental management system which specifies the requirements concerning environmental impacts from organisational activities. The environment management system assures that they follow existing legislation and that they fulfil environmental demands from their customers, owner and neighbours. The system also covers surface treatment, product development, packages and waste management and which areas they continuously focus upon.

Prices correct as of 08/07/10

Back in March we bought to your attention our very friendly Rexel Staple Wizard. It received so many positive reviews, the little mite literally boomed! Reviews like the following was what brought it to our attention; “I’ve owned one of these for about 9 years and only now is it starting to fall apart.” and “whether its 2 sheets or 20, it staples anything” and “Extremely highly recommended even if you think you won’t use it that much, trust me you will!” and “I had one of these for years and was saddened when a piece of plastic broke off and rendered it unusable. I was very pleased to find a replacement and recommend them to anyone, they make stapling fun!” Nothing’s changed since March, sales of the Wizard are still going through the roof and enquiries are still keeping our team busy. One of the main questions is, “where can I get staples to go with my Wizard?” or “do you have any nice colourful staples to stay in keeping with the Wizards colourful feel?” Well the answer is Yes.

Take a look below at these Rexel No.56 Staples. They come in packs of 2000 and are available in purple blue or green. Coloured staples are the perfect accessory for those looking to cheer up dreary documents, match their paperwork with other accessories or bring a little colour to the classroom. To re-iterate, the Wizard allows you to see how the mechanism operates as you staple! It is capable of stapling 2 to 12 sheets (although many claim that it can staple more). The base measures 14.6cm long (ignoring the instep contour) and the width is 8.2cm. The height of this stapler is 9.9cm at the highest point. On the base of the stapler you will find 4 circular foam pads at the corners which stop it slipping when in use. The batteries (4 x AA) can be inserted at the base and the cover simply clips into and out of place when the lever is pressed. Staples are loaded into the tray which ejects when the button on the top of the unit is pressed. The tray is loaded with 26/6 or 24/6 staples, plus the ejection area is well guarded from small prying fingers. A small switch can be pressed when the paper is stapled and the gap is luckily too small to get a finger in. If you staple many times a day you may find it easier to leave the stapler on your desk and feed the paper towards it. When in use it makes effortless mechanical silence which is always reassuring! The size is perfect for sitting on your desk and as it does not have an inbuilt mains unit for dc operation, there are no unsightly wires in your way, no need for making holes in your furniture, no need for extra sockets; you just need re-chargeable batteries!

We’ve found a great little desk buddy for you here, and he goes under the name of Staple Wizard. As it turns out, these things are really quite popular and the reviews they’ve received are astonishing. With comments like “I’ve owned one of these for about 9 years and only now is it starting to fall apart.” and “whether its 2 sheets or 20, it staples anything” and “Extremely highly recommended even if you think you won’t use it that much, trust me you will!” and “I had one of these for years and was saddened when a piece of plastic broke off and rendered it unusable. I was very pleased to find a replacement and recommend them to anyone, they make stapling fun!”

With eye-catching colourful designs, these electric staplers are intended for everyday use. Due to their innovative design, you can see how the mechanism operates as you staple! This fun electric stapler is able to staple 2 to 12 sheets (although many claim that it can staple more). The base measures 14.6cm long (ignoring the instep contour) and the width is 8.2cm. The height of this stapler is 9.9cm at the highest point. On the base of the stapler you will find 4 circular foam pads at the corners which stop it slipping when in use. The batteries (4 x AA) can be inserted at the base and the cover simply clips into and out of place when the lever is pressed. Staples are loaded into the tray which ejects when the button on the top of the unit is pressed. The tray is loaded with 26/6 or 24/6 staples, plus the ejection area is well guarded from small prying fingers. A small switch is pressed in when the paper is stapled and the gap is luckily too small to get a finger in. We find that the main advantage is that when stapling many times a day it is easy to leave the stapler on your desk and feed the paper towards it. When it use it makes effortless mechanical silence which is always reassuring! The size is perfect for sitting on your desk and as it does not have an inbuilt mains unit for dc operation, there are no unsightly wires in your way, no need for making holes in your furniture, no need for extra sockets; you just need re-chargeable batteries! When using the coloured staples you are able to complement the colourful design of this product. When you purchase this stapler from Office 365, you can save yourself 24% and pick it up for just £15.11, that’s £4.84 off!

Please note, prices are valid as from the 09/03/2010 and if you are unsure of our pricing, please do not hesitate to call us on 0870 766 1624.

As you already know, as far as staplers go, we at Office 365 are pretty fond of Rapesco. We’ve already brought to you the blog titled The Best Stapler where we introduced you to one heck of a machine. Today we’d like to bring to your attention the basic, affordable yet quality staplers by Rapesco in a range of popular colours. Rapesco machines, whether top of the range or basic models, lead their class and boast greater power to weight performance than any of their contemporaries. Rapesco leads the way in stapling machine manufacturing, with innovative and patented engineering designs and passionate styling. Rapesco are so popular in fact that in the UK more people choose their products, such as staplers, than any other brand!

To your right you will see the Marlin 545 stapler by Rapesco. It is the metal full strip version of the Bowfin 535. It features top loading capability and a fantastic 10 year guarantee! 

• ABS top cap
• Full rubber base
• L – 159mm x W – 41mm
• Saving of 24% when you buy from Office 365
• Takes 26/6 staples and 24/6 staples
• Can Punch through 25 sheets

With Rapesco, you can relax, safe in the knowledge that their products come with the specifications that you would expect from a manufacturer with only the highest standards and vision for the future in mind. When staplers and such like products are used in a busy work environment, they need to be able to withstand the toughest treatment. This is why Rapesco painstakingly stress test all of their products and why they hand test every single item. With complete confidence, Rapesco offer a no quibble 10 year guarantee on their core products which is a unique proposition in this market. Outperforming higher cost alternatives every day is perfect testament to the in-built reliability of every Rapesco product.

This stapler may not be the one for you, but worry not. We have a great selection of Black Staplers, Blue Staplers and Red Staplers plus many more, available on the site, it’s definitely well worth a look!

The Green Bit

Having successfully raised the environmental credentials of the products themselves and their packaging Rapesco’s environmental team are now focused on the manufacturing and distribution processes. This means improving every aspect of the way the company works. They are, for example, driving the business towards an almost paper-less operation and are recycling wherever possible. Retail packaging has changed from a PVC base to one of PET. Time and focus has been directed towards the coatings on their metal products to ensure traditional methods are changed in favour of modern eco-friendly ones without ever compromising quality. Galvanising in place of copper and nickel in place of chrome. Parts are easily disassembled in order to allow for specific recycling, such as their tackers when compared with others which are welded or pressed together making them impossible to repair and very difficult to recycle. Rapesco are putting the environment in front of their marketing desires so that packaging is not over sized, nor overly complicated and considerable thought into making its eventual recycling as easy as possible is always considered as a priority. Like quality, environmental management is a journey without a destination. Rapesco know they need to think globally and act locally. After all, we are all in this together.

Did you know?

The first known stapler was handmade in the 18th century in France for King Louis XV. Each staple was inscribed with the insignia of the royal court, as required.

Electric staplers are used for a wide variety of office, reprographic and packaging applications. They offer speed and uniformity for repetitive stapling, and can even be found integrated with photocopiers! We’ve found the demand for electric staplers high and are frequently being asked questions about which would be the best for heavy duty and fast stapling needs. Time and time again we recommend this one and every time our customers come back happy with fantastic reviews.

Rapid 105E Electronic Stapler Black and Grey

This is a thin electric stapler for office and packaging stapling. Two or more staplers can be connected in series with fibre optic cable for stapling simultaneously. The staplers are sequentially controlled and therefore do not overload the mains. Patented electronic controlling, pneumatic damping etc gives agreeable and quiet sequence of operation. 105E has a steplessy adjustable force and the stapling depth is also adjustable. The stapling is automatic or with a pedal.

• Ideal for use in large offices, hotels and banks etc plus packaging applications such as blister pack and header card stapling
• Several machines can be connected by an opto-cable (not supplied) for multiple stapling in packaging applications
• Slim design and quiet operation
• Easy front loading with safety visor and automatic cut-out
• Fully adjustable stapling force
• Movable anvil for stapling and pinning
• 344141 Black/White

The Rapid brand stands for high quality, satisfied customers and competence. They are the leading supplier worldwide of high quality stapling products, hot melt products and hole punches.

The Green Bit

Isaberg Rapid has had a long serving commitment to working with environmental issues. In 1999 the operations at the Swedish plant were certified according to ISO 14001 the international specification for environmental management system which specifies the requirements concerning environmental impacts from organisational activities. The environment management system assures that they follow existing legislation and that they fulfil environmental demands from their customers, owner and neighbours.The system also covers surface treatment, product development, packages and waste management and which areas they continuously focus upon.For more electric staplers go to desktop accessories on the site or just click on the link here.

Colour seems to mean a lot to you guys, that’s why today at Office 365 we have made you this page. For your convenience, we have sifted through our collection of Staplers and manufactures to find you a brand of staplers available in all sorts of colours.

So let me tell you about Rapid.

The Rapid FM20 is a half strip robust all metal stapler. The rubber base gives a perfect balance between ergonomics and stapling precision. This stapler enables you to tack and pin. The FM20 is design coordinated with the FMC hole punches.

• 5 Year Guarantee
• Stapling and Pinning
• Performance – 20 sheets
• Staple Size – 24/6 + 26/6
• Stapling depth: 50mm
• Tough stylish metal stapler in metallic colours
• Low Staple Indicator
• Comfortable Ergonomic Grip

This particular stapler is available in Black, Blue, Red and Silver and can be purchased with a colourful 44% off when you buy from Office 365!

We also have a great selection of Red Staplers, Blue Staplers, Black Staplers, Green Staplers and many more!

One of the reasons we like Rapid is because they are constantly striving to be the best. This means better products, hence happier customers for us. Their mission is to be the leading supplier worldwide of high quality stapling products, glue guns, hole punches and hot air products. The Rapid brand stands for high quality, satisfied customers and competence.

The Green Bit

As one of the leading suppliers worldwide of stapling products, hot melt products and hole punches, Isaberg Rapid AB shall be among the leaders when it comes to environmental issues. They shall aim at an ecological sustainable development and thereby take responsibility for future environmental issues alongside with good financial operations.This means that they shall:

• Fulfil relevant legislation, decrees, directions and other demands regarding the environment

• Strive to fulfil environmental targets and to attain continuous improvements

• Act according to the substitution principle when chemicals are in use

• Act to reduce and prevent pollution and promote efficient use of raw material and energy