Gone Electric: The History of the Stapler

Where it started…

Since paper was first invented, there has been a need for staplers. However, there was a lot of back and forth in the history of the stapler before it became what you may think of today. Each inventor tried their hand at making the process of combining multiple sheets of paper as seamless as possible. Now, we have automatic staplers like the EcoElectronix StaplePro which combines the historic need for combining a lot of papers repetitively and the modern day need for more sustainable and eco-conscious companies. 

The first person to invent a stapler was Louis XV for his personal documents. He put his spin on it by including his court’s insignia - sometimes even including gems! As the public got more papers of their own, Samuel Slocum patented his document fastening method of threading pins through paper in 1841. 

George McGill became a well known name in the stapler industry after his bendable brass fastener in 1866 was paired with his press that inserted the fastener into the paper in 1867. In 1879 Charles H. Gould then invented what we would consider a stapler today, the McGill Single-Stroke Staple Press, which weighed almost 3 pounds and was only able to load one staple at a time. Though back in 1877, Henry R. Heyl filed a patent for the first machine to both insert and close a staple in the same step so there is some controversy over who the real inventor of the stapler was.

Gone electric 

Understandably, this labor-intensive process has seen some upgrades over the years. In 1905 the B. Jahn Manufacturing Co. was the first to streamline the process with a stapler that can hold an entire strip of staples.  

In the 1950s, Staplex created the first electric stapler. Other brands began to follow in their footsteps upgrading the electric stapler to be more and more efficient. From larger storage capacity to quieter mechanisms the electric stapler is far from the early days of paper cinching. Check out these things to look for before you buy an electric stapler.

Eco-Electronix decided to set themselves apart from the old-school stapler companies like Bostitch who have been around since the 1920s by making an eco-conscious promise. For every sale we make, we donate to the Rainforest Alliance and Earth Injustice. We also use environmentally friendly packaging and the highest quality materials to cut down on waste.