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Early Office Museum

Antique Stapler Gallery 
 ~ Paper Fastener Punches ~

Model, Year Introduced, Maker

 Click Image to Enlarge
Swartwout's Paper Fastener & Binder
Patented ~ Marketed Metallic Paper Fasteners 1864, Marketed Patent Metallic Paper Fastener and Binder 1872
Swartwout Mfg. Co., New York, NY
Illustration shows a man using a desktop machine to insert paper fasteners. Each fastener consisted of two pieces of metal approximately 2" long.  The piece that went on top of the papers had either two or four short pointed legs.  The piece that went under the papers had slots through which the pointed legs were inserted before being bent over. 
W. H. Swartwout of New York, NY, sold "metallic paper fasteners" as of 1864.  (Annual Report of the American Institute of the City of New York for the Years 1863, '64, Albany, 1864)  According to an 1872 report, "Swartwout's Patent Metallic Paper Fastener and Binder, designed for fastening papers of all kinds...consists of two thin plates, of equal size, one of which is furnished with long, projecting teeth, fitting exactly into corresponding holes in the other.  By a simple process the ends of the teeth are turned up, and the two plates, with whatever is placed between them, are firmly clinched together." (The Publishers' and Stationers' Weekly Trade Circular, Feb. 8, 1872, p. 103) 		Swarthwouts_Paper_Fastener__Binder_NYC.jpg (87319 bytes)
Swartwout's Paper Fastener and Binder
McGill's Paper Fastener Press
Similar to 1867 Patent ~ Advertised 1878-1961
Holmes, Booth & Haydens
New York, NY
"McGill's Patent Paper Fasteners" were on the market in 1871, and "McGill's Paper Fastener Press, for inserting...McGill Fasteners" was advertised in 1872.  Because the ad was not illustrated, we do not know whether the press advertised in 1872 was the same as the one illustrated to the right.  (The Mayor's Message, St. Louis, MO, 1871, p. 258; The Publishers' and Stationers' Weekly Trade Circular, Aug. 15, 1872, p. 154)

McGill's Fasteners & Suspending Devices.jpg (51112 bytes) 
Store Display for McGill's Patent Fasteners & Suspending Devices

 1874_McGill_Fastener_Punch_and_Box_of_McGill_Patent_Fasteners.jpg (87123 bytes)
Box of McGill's Paper Fasteners, advertised in this style of box 1880-97

fastener_plate01.jpg (23494 bytes)
McGill's Fastener Press
Registered Paper Piercer
Patented 1872 ~ Advertised 1873
Johnson Brothers
Birmingham, England
"The utility of this article in superceding the penknife generally used for piercing all kinds of papers, cards, memorandums, briefs, law forms, and all articles where paper fasteners are used, will be obvious." 		1872_Registered_Paper_Piercer_Johnson_Bros_Birmingham_England.jpg (24381 bytes)
McGill Fastener Punch
Patented 1874 ~ Advertised 1880-1930
Holmes, Booth & Haydens, 
New York, NY 		1874 McGill Paper Fastener OM.JPG (9632 bytes)
1874_McGill_paper_fastener_punch.JPG (27138 bytes)
McGill's Punch and Anvil
Advertised 1879-87
Holmes, Booth & Haydens
New York, NY 		1880_McGills_Patent_Punch__Anvil.jpg (98581 bytes)
McGill Fastener Press
Patented 1884 ~ Advertised 1885
Homes, Booth & Haydens
New York, NY 		1884_McGill_Fastener_Press.jpg (36366 bytes)
Universal Fastener Punch
Advertised 1887
U.S. 		1887_Universal_Paper_Punch_Geo_D_Barnard__Co_St_Louis_catalog Scaglione.jpg (42214 bytes)
1887_Universal_Fastener_Press_1b.JPG (20832 bytes)
Paper Fastener Press Paper_fastener_press_xx.jpg (22327 bytes)
Paper Fastener Press Paper_fastener_press_vv_OM.JPG (32940 bytes)
Clover Fastener Press Clover_Paper_Fastener_Press_side_OM.jpg (39845 bytes)
Krahn Punch (a.k.a. Temple Punch)
1902 ~ Advertised 1930-36 
Krahn Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, WI
Subsequently, Geo. J. Meyer Mfg. Co, Milwaukee, WI 		Krahn_Punch_Geo_Myer_Mfg_Co_Milwaukee_WI.jpg (30894 bytes)
McGill's Fastener Press
Advertised 1912, 1930
U.S.		 1867_McGill_Fastener_Press_One_Hole_XX_a.jpg (60890 bytes)
Hole Punching Press No. 33
Advertised in 1920s, but design appears older
U.K.

Courtesy of Curtis Scaglione		 Hole_Punching_Press_No._33_Scaglione_xx.JPG (161316 bytes)
Paper Fastener Press
Design Registered 1925
U.K.		 Paper_Fastener_Press_RD_716473_side.jpg (30854 bytes)
Paper_Fastener_Press_RD_716473_side_open.jpg (17114 bytes)
Dennison's Desk Casket of Paper Fasteners
U.S.		 Dennisons_Desk_Casket_of_Paper_Fasteners.jpg (27291 bytes)


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