Stapler of the Week Archive- Hotchkiss 122A & 122-P

Hotchkiss 122-P steel chrome and grey finish

Hotchkiss 122-P box cardboard with printed paper label

Hotchkiss 122-A steel, pot metal, and plastic black finish

Hotchkiss 122A box printed cardboard

Here is a comparison of two different versions of the Hotchkiss 122 series manufactured in two different eras. I first consulted my wife/resident objects expert regarding the 122A and the first words out of her mouth were, "war-time relic." Rationing applied to all the essentials of life such as food, clothing and yes even stapling. I've seen Swingline staplers from the same era made from similar materials including bakelite and even wood. The 122-P by contrast has very little in variety of material. It's design is the same with the exception of it's plier stapler foot, but the construction is a bit more refined. A comparison of the box designs is also of some interest. The 122A box is simply printed cardboard box whereas the 122-P has a two part box with a printed paper label attached. Another example of this style of box can be found with the Hotchkiss No. 52, Stapler of the Week, January 19, 2008. All in all two very interesting staplers and as the nickname "Bantam" suggests, they're small yet powerful.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, January 19, 2009.

Stapler of the Week Archive- Arrow 210

Arrow 210 green and chrome finish

The Arrow 210 was introduced to me last fall by a fellow stapler enthusiast but I hadn't come across an example until recently. The 210 was most likely designed and manufactured in good old Brooklyn, NY and has a few really interesting features that sets it apart from other desktop models. The most interesting has to be the anvil plate which is triangular in shape and offers not just two but three staple settings: staple, pin and temporary staple. Staples load from the rear, the top opens with the release seen on the side and to top it all off, instead of simply hinging open for tacking, the entire top comes off. Another notable feature of this 210 is the area on top of the stapler holds a plastic plaque which could be engraved with your company name. On the whole it is quite a nice desktop stapler.

Excerpt from The Stapler of the Week, January 5, 2009.

Stapler of the Week Archive-'BABE'

Parrot Speed Fastener Corp 'BABE' chrome finish with corrosion

This little 'BABE" has, as you can see, a lot of history. I'd been on the look out for an example since seeing examples featured by the Early Office Museum and by the Stapler Exchange. The 'Babe' was manufactured in Germany and distributed in the U.S.A. by Parrot Speed Fastener Corp, which later became Swingline. The 'Babe' features a sliding paper stop allowing the user get every staple the same distance from the edge of the paper. Another notable design aspect is the way the stapler shifts from stapling to pinning. Instead of the anvil plate moving, the entire top of the stapler moves at the hinge pin between two positions. The whole process seems just a bit difficult to me, but who am I to question the stapler that started an empire.

Excerpt from The Stapler of the Week, December 19, 2008.

Stapler of the Week Archive- Zenith 551 & 548E

Zenith 551 beige and gold finish

Zenith 548/E7 gray and blue-gray finish

The Zenith stapler has long been a favorite of mine. Zenith is actually a brand of Balma-Capoduri & C. which also manufactures the popular Italian glue and adhesive brands, Coccoina and Lakol. My love for European office supply design continues and it's actually a shame my enthusiasm developed after my studies abroad in Italy. I had previously compared the Zenith to the Matac 7, another Italian stapler but had not acquired a Zenith until recently. Fortunately I found two different models, the 551 and the 548/E7. There are a few differences between the two, the 551 uses 24/6 & 24/8 staples and the 548/E7 uses 6/6 & 6/8 staples. The 551 is a bit longer than the 548E which perhaps provides the leverage needed to staple 5+ sheets or even thin cards and cardboard.

Zenith keeps updating their plier staplers for the modern age and its markets. The US distribution ranges from design-conscious sellers such as Design Within Reach, boutiques such as LA's Plastica, internet mega-marts such as Amazon, and of course the collector's fix dealer eBay. All I know, is if I'm ever near Voghera, Italy, you can be sure I'll be bringing home an assortment of Zenith staplers.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, November 23, 2008.

detail Zenith 548/E gray and blue-gray finish

Zenith 548/E blue and blue-gray finish

Update May 25, 2009: I came across this 548/E and had to include it to represent a "vintage" version. Along with all it's corrosion and patina, this 548/E has a few interesting inscriptions. Like the 551 above it states it is "Importe d'Italie" but on the top it features the phrase blue box in Italian, French, English, and Spanish.

Stapler of the Week Archive- Apsco 2002

APSCO 2002 chrome and black finish

The APSCO 2002 is yet another interesting example of the international lines of stapler manufacture. APSCO, or the Automatic Pencil Sharpener Company, was known, as its name suggests, for its line of pencil sharpeners*. Staplers appeared to be a sideline. The brochure detail below mentions the 2002 's manufacture from "Swedish steel" and leads me to believe it was actually manufactured by Isaberg-Rapid. The Rapid Classic 2 is identical in design as I'm sure there are many others (including the Rexel No 560 Beaver, featured February 7, 2008). The 2002 also bears the inscription TORONTO, ONT, CAN. I haven't found any APSCO-Canada connection yet.

detail from 1953 "The APSCO Line" brochure
found at Leadholder, the online drafting pencil museum

* It's main sharpener competitor was the Boston Specialty Corporation. There were many manufacturers as shown in the Early Office Museum's mechanical pencil sharpener gallery, but APSCO and Boston seemed to come out on top. APSCO was first absorbed into the Berol Corporation in 1969 and Berol was in turn absorbed by the Sanford Corporation in 1995.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, September 14, 2008.

Stapler of the Week Archive- Elastic Juwel

Elastic Juwel chrome finish

The Elastic Juwel is yet another fine stapler of German origin. It's also a fine example of the blurred lines of stapler design. The Isaberg Rapid Juwel first caught my attention. I don't have a modern example but when I found this Juwel, I was excited to acquire my an early version. When I received it in the mail, I was puzzled because it so closely resembles the Hotchkiss No. 54, right down to the numeral 54 imprinted on its nose. I examined the No. 54 more closely and found it bears the imprint, "U.S.A. PAT MADE IN GERMANY." It was at this point I realized, "German, not Swedish." The Goethe-Institut lists the Elastic Juwel as a "Monument of German Design," and that the "Swedish staple company Isaberg Rapid liked it so much that it bought Mainz Elastic GmbH in February and shifted production to Sweden." The U.S.A. patent lists Fridolin Polzer, an Austrian-American, as the designer of the No. 54. I don't know if Polzer's No 54 preceded the Elastic Juwel but the Goethe-Institut got it right, these pliers really are Monuments of Stapler Design.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, September 6, 2008.

Stapler of the Week Archive- Swingline 3P

Swingline 3P grey finish

Swingline 3P grey finish

The Swingline 3P has always interested me. When I finally acquired one, I was surprised at its size, only about 4 by 3 inches. When one considers the necessity of it fitting in the palm of one's hand, the 3P's size isn't at all surprising. It's basic design is taken from the Swingline 3 with the plunger action being driven by a lever which contacts the palm. It can be opened for tacking with the lever at the back of the throat. The 3P uses the same staples as the No. 3. I'm going to hazard a guess that the "P" stands for plier but the difference in size makes me hesitate to say the 3P the plier version of the No.3. I'm sure I'll find the answer but couldn't wait to feature this great stapler.

Swingline 3P box

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, September 1, 2008.