nad_masters's Full Review: Clip,Ppr,#1,.034,Reg,1C
With a new job, comes a new desk with the need for new office equipment. Sure, there are big things like a new computer and tech stuff that helps with the job like a a fancy USB flash drive. But as Michael Scott once said, "Real business is done on paper". So the need for traditional office supplies such as pens, highlighters, markers, post-it, and pads of paper is still there.
Yes, that's right... a box of paper clips... what's so cool about that? Well, just like the Swingline stapler, dealing with paper is made easier when you are able to group relevant papers up. Unlike staples, which is more permanent, paper clips allow you to clip those relevent papers together without actually causing any harm to the papers themselves.
Why Paper Clips?
Staples punches through a stack of paper, creating two distinct mini-vampire-like holes. The staple penetrates the papers and then curls around them on the opposite side so that the papers cannot be pulled away from each other. To remove the staple cleanly, you'd really have to uncurl the staple's claws and then pull it out. Even then, there are two distinct holes that gives away the fact the papers were once a part of a stack of others. If you use a typical staple remover, the papers may get mangled up even worse.
That's where paper clips come in. While they come in various sizes (for various sized stacks of paper), these standard-size paper clips should be good enough for up to 20 pages of standard laser printer stock paper. They are good for papers that may require you to pull the stack apart cleanly. It also lets the person who will be receiving the stack that it is not really in any particular order.
Other Uses
Because the paper clip is just long thin metal that's formed by just a few series of bends, it's easy to straighten them out and make it use for other things. The paper clip is conductive and can be used as a make-shift electrical jumper. Some people use it in place of a fuse, but it's not a good idea (the fuse is blowing for a reason, so why jump the circuit?). I personally use a straightened paper clip to stick into many CD-ROM drive's emergency eject holes. This allows for you to eject the CD tray when you cannot realistically power up the CD-ROM drive, or if the CD-ROM drive is just not cooperating.
You'd be surprised at how many uses a paper clip beyond it's intended use! Because it is easy to bend it any way you want, it is very useful! It's like a mini version of a coat hanger!
Packaging
The ACCO Paper Clips #1 100 count stock #72380 comes in a small cardboard box with 100 individual standard-size paper clips. A single box can fill up the OIC Paper Clip dispenser without over-filling it. Seems like they were made for each other!
Thus, packaging is very simple, and the box is recyclable. Very good for the environment, I must say. Minimal packaging is a good thing! If you don't have a dispenser, you can always use the box itself as a dispenser!
Cons
There aren't many cons to a simple paper clip. However, being a simple object, that in itself does lend it's share of downfalls.
For example, if you try to clip too many pages, the paper clip may deform and will hold papers less effectively. They may even fall off! The size of the paper clip does dictate how much you can hold, and these being a smaller "standard" size clip.
Since it only clips on with friction, it can fall off without care. They can be knocked off accidentally during handling.
Also I find it hard to flip through pages with a paper clip on. They seem to fall off since they don't hold them too tightly. This is where staples will reign supreme.
Another con? It's pointy and you can hurt yourself if you're not careful. This is especially true if you bent the paper clip in different ways to suit your needs (like to poke at recessed buttons... or other people!). But then again, it's more your fault than the paper clip's.
Also it's very annoying when it comes up and offers you help with every little simple thing in Microsoft Office! Oh... wait... that's not really ACCO's fault, either...
Conclusion
A simple paper clip have many uses besides just clipping papers together! Even when used for that task, the benefits over staples is that it will not punch holes into your paper, and that makes it less permanent.
Of course, there are some places where staples will still be better, such as a make-shift booklet, or if you want to semi-permanently bond a stack of paper together (indicating that it is more permanent than just clipping them together).
All in all, the simple mighty paper clip can offer it's help on many things. Even you need help with mail merge in Microsoft Word...
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