History of Lo-Tech Office Supplies

We all spend most of our lives watching the clock from a miserable cube. But imagine what the 9-to-5 would be like without some of the office equipment we've all learned to take for granted? Here's a quick history on some of the more widespread office supplies.

THE STAPLER:

It holds together TPS reports and keeps down the carpet. We can thank the analness of King Louis XIV of France for these "fastenating" devices. Apparently, he insisted that the insignia of the royal court be inscribed with what came to be known as staples. As the use of paper picked up steam in the 19th century, Samuel Slocum created a device that stuck pins through paper to keep it together. Since momma didn't raise no fool, he was awarded U.S. Patent No. 56, 587. Thankfully, staplers are about 2.5 pounds lighter than their predecessors - but that doesn't stop that last damn staple from jamming every time.

THE PAPERCLIP:

File this under 'anyone could have thought of that.' A thin wire bent into a looped shape that holds papers together via pressure. The kick in the nuts is that the paperclip's inventor apparently WAS raised by a fool: he never got a patent. However, that didn't stop the Gem Manufacturing Company from patenting a machine that made these clips in 1899. And if you think David Hasselhoff is big in Germany, paperclips are even bigger in Sweden where they are simply known as 'Gems.' And speaking of big, the largest paperclip in the world is on display in Florida, Massachusettes. The most annoying paperclip - on display in Microsoft Office.

SCOTCH TAPE:

Kleenex, Jello-O and Scotch Tape. All brand names that scammed the global public into thinking their names are synonymous with the generic items. So where did the "Scotch" come from? Legend has it that the original product produced by 3M failed to stick since they were cheap with the adhesive. So they blamed their bosses - all Scots. Enter Scotty McTape (I'm NOT kidding), the brand's cartoon mascot, and the product's success has stuck since the 1930's.

BINDER CLIP: