Stapler of the Week Archive- Etona HP-210

Etona HP-210 plastic grey and off-white tone, steel chrome finish

Etona HP-210 box cardboard

Etona HP-210 box cardboard

It took me some time to embrace contemporary design and materials when applied to staplers.  Plastics were okay when used for parts that could not be produced by folding or pressing steel but were often the most frequently broken components.  My romantic ideal was that old heavy steel is what gave value to the first staplers that started my collection.  One can experience the weight of it, the coldness of it in your hand, perhaps the subtle scent of machine oil, and the satisfying sound of its action as the staple is driven home.  That brings us to the Etona HP-210, our offering this week.

The HP-210, manufactured in Japan, meets none of the criteria that once were requirements for my collection.  It weighs next to nothing and as the box states is, "Lightweight Safer for glass counters."  In fact, there is very little sensory experience to holding it.  There is only the simplicity of form and function.  This sensibility is mirrored in the other Japanese examples in my collection: the Muji and the Nalclip Nicler.  In light of all the once perceived negatives, the HP-210 has won a place in my stapler pantheon and atop any glass counters I may someday find.

Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, April 9, 2020.