Stapler of the Week Archive- MUJI stapler

MUJI stapler plastic and metal closed (top) and open (bottom)

Building on last week's staplers in Japan connection, here's a neat little compact fastener from MUJI. When not in use, a slight adjustment enables it to become even more compact as seen in the top illustration above. The MUJI "basic principle is to develop new simple products at reasonable prices by making the best use of materials while considering environmental issues." Now that's a pretty good principle, saving the environment and such with good design.

My wife was familiar with MUJI long before I was keen on office supplies. She first bought MUJI products in the basement of Selfridges & Co in London and then later shopped at one of the many the MUJI stores. I only mention this because a store is set to open in New York City this fall. I may acquire some more MUJI myself.

This particular example was a gift to the Stapler of the Week from one Aki Shibata, a MUJI disciple from Japan to Minnesota. Just a reminder...donate a stapler to the collection and you may get a mention.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, September 24, 2007.

Stapler of the Week Archive-Hotchkiss No. 54

Hotchkiss No. 54 patent Dec 4, 1934 chrome finish

This specific stapler's design can be traced to one Fridolin Polzer through patent drawings provided by Old Staplers.com. It's also the unadorned version of a plier stapler in the modernism collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. I've been looking for one ever since I saw the MIA's example. It's movement is refined and concealed within its case. The staples are smaller than those of the Swingline "Tot" 50. Truly, it was meant to be ornamented and used by delicate hands.

In researching this stapler, I learned some interesting details about the Hotchkiss Company. Due to a bit of marketing genius by E.H. Hotchkiss, in Japan and Korea the word for stapler is Hotchikisu, according to Curtis Scaglione's Stapler Exchange. Apparently Hotchkiss sent a shipment of fasteners there and as they were the first fasteners the Japanese had ever seen, they naturally referred to them (and all that followed) by the Hotchkiss name.

Also, there's a question if there is any connections between the Hotchkiss stapler and the Hotchkiss machine gun used in WWI. Jim Breen, an Austrailian IT researcher, did a bit of digging here but couldn't find a definite connection, aside from the fact both families came from Connecticut.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, September 16, 2007

Stapler of the Week Archive- Bump & Clipless Paper Fasteners

Bump Paper Fastener Patent Jul 21, 1914 black metal finish

Clipless Paper Fastener Patent August 2, 1910 chrome metal finish

These paper fasteners are the most recent additions to my collection. I first referenced these fasteners in the Stapler of the Week entry for the Chadwick Stapleless Stapler. As stated before, I have been fascinated by the stapleless fastener ever since I stumbled upon their existence. Whether they were created to conserve staples or just to compete with the stapler industry, they did not catch on the way one might think they should. Perhaps the fact that the process was a far less reversible than stapling is behind it not being a common household item. These two hand-held examples were also accompanied by desktop models which resembled staplers of the time.

The process by which the paper is fastened is I think exactly the same. It is more visible on the Clipless model. One can see what appears to be a smaller punch with an eye like a needle and then a larger chisel shaped punch. As you can guess, the larger punch creates the tab and the smaller punch the hole which the tab slips in. When the fastener is fully depressed, the tab is slipped into the eye of the smaller punch. As the fastener is released and the punches withdraw from the paper, the tab is pulled through, fastening the paper together.


Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, September 10, 2007.