Okay, so it’s just a stapler, but the Staple Free Stapler caught my eye and so I finally broke down and bought one.

It was a bit larger than it looked in the stand-alone images, which is why I added a pen and some note paper to add some scale in my photo:

It took me a couple tries to get a good connection as I was expecting a more corner-oriented stapling approach. You have to have paper all the way across the entrance bay or you will get odd indentations in the paper and the fold wont be as secure. I would have preferred to be able to insert the corner of the page, but it works quite well so it’s not really an issue.

With a nice firm press on the button (top of the stapler) you get a nice solid cut and fold… cut and fold? Yes, this little gadget actually cuts the paper and folds a flap of it over into a flap to join up to four pages together. Interesting. I remember connecting pages with folding when I was in school and lacking a stapler… I guess this is a more formal version of that technology. The connection is pretty tight and does seem to survive repeated page turning. Below are some shots of the front and back of the binding fold:

The product page has a better shot of the fold… I could not get the lighting right.

It’s an interesting little utility piece and it is unique looking. The cut and fold staple method may not be something that would be acceptable in many work places but for personal and/or home use it should be fine… and I guess in the long run you will save money on staples.

• The company that makes them has some other interesting items as well: Made By Humans