Stapler of the Week Archive- Bates Models B & C

Bates Model B green painted steel

Bates Model C grey painted steel

The mechanism inside these Bates staplers create staples from spools of wire, hence their classification as Wire Spool Stapling Machines. The Robert E. De Barth company in Lansdale, PA, refills wire spool cartridges, repairs old staplers and offers a wealth of information. According to De Barth, the Bates wire spool staplers were in production from the 1920's until the late 1960's. Originally the wire was made from steel but was switched to brass, which do not rust. The De Barth company has even created a Hot Rod version of the Bates.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, April 27, 2008.

Stapler of the Week Archive- Heller Tacker

Heller Tacker chrome finish with areas of corrosion

detail of H.S. Heller patent 2,688,290 front cover means for stapling machines

Since moving to New York, I've been really interested by the concentration of stapler manufacturers on the east coast. It was this interest that led me to acquire the Heller Tacker. The Tacker is the first example of a tacker/staple-gun type stapler I've featured in the Stapler of the Week and I feel it warrants attention, seeing as it bears the name of the town I now call home, Brooklyn, N.Y.. My first realization that the five boroughs of New York held a wealth of stapler history came my first week of work. Each day on our way into Manhattan, we pass by an assortment of warehouses. At the intersection of Van Dam and Skillman Ave, one warehouse had the shadow of the words Swingline staplers left on the brick wall by a sign now ten years missing. It was that moment the initials, L.I.C., suddenly changed from what I had always assumed to be a business abbreviations like LTD to a bricks and mortar building in Long Island City.

Harold S. Heller's connection to Brooklyn is still a mystery to me, although I haven't done that much digging. All of Heller's patents I've found were filed in Cleveland, OH. I suspect there's a possibly a warehouse somewhere in Brooklyn that bears the shadow of the Heller name, I only have to find it. When I do find it, you'll be sure to hear about it.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, April 21, 2008.

Stapler of the Week Archive- Tatum Aluminum Stapler

Tatum Aluminum Stapler aluminum and plastic

I had mentioned the Tatum Aluminum Stapler in an earlier post and provided a link to The Antique Stapler Collector's Website's (A.S.C.W.) excellent information on it, including patent drawings assigning credit for its design to Herbert W. Marano of Brooklyn, NY in 1954. It turns out, Herbert Marano was also responsible for the T-155 "Little Buddy." As indicated in my post and that of the A.S.C.W., the Tatum Aluminum Stapler is highly sought after by collectors of design objects as well as stapler enthusiasts. I acquired this Tatum after missing out on several other examples which sold for prices far beyond my stapler budget. Needless to say, it has a prominent placement in my stapler hall of fame.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, April 2, 2008.