In much the way you helped me put a finger on my love of neon signs, you just unlocked my sense of adoration for binder clips. They're amazing. Thanks for helping me bring this into focus!
I have always been a fidgeter and have tried a variety of fidget toys at my office. By far my favorite one is just a simple binder clip. I clip it on things, flick the handles back and forth, rub along the contours, put it on my fingers, remove and replace the handles, etc. I always keep a couple extras on my desk.
I’ve even met a woman with a binder clip tattoo. I was so struck by it that I struck up a conversation with her at Coachella. I ended up running into her again at a later Coachella, and while I didn’t quite register her face as familiar, the tattoo was a dead giveaway.
I use a silver one as my wallet. I surround my license and credit cards with cash. To quote Kramer, “I keep the big bills on the outside.” To quote Jerry, “It’s a five!”
Also, if Brannock had invented something as equally useful as the Brannock Device, what would he have called it? Brannock's 2nd Device? You see the problem.
I hate binder clips. Why? Because whenever I was at a desk with a binder clip in the drawer, I'd end up fidgeting with it, and eventually use it to clip my fingers. All I see when I look at these things is the snapping pain of my own boredom.
I LOVE binder clips! Thank you for this excellent article about them. I knew nothing about their invention before, so now I know whom to thank for their creation. Thanks to you, too, for giving me new ideas about how to use them. I already use them to hang up calendars and to keep my toothpaste tube tidy and to keep my cereal package closed, but you've opened up a new binder clip world for me! I partiularly like your idea of using them as tiny stands for tiny works of art. My sisters know of my love of binder clips, so I will often find binder clips in my Christmas stocking. Reading your article was a great way to start my morning.
Peak IC. I use these things for EVERYTHING. Without going into detail, because it doesn't matter to get the point across, I used a binder clip in two different applications to re-ink a self-inking stamp pad just this morning. These things are that versatile.
Just looking at my desk, I have one holding a bag of candy closed, a few managing computer cables, and a handful holding mismatched stackable letter trays together (think "inbox" on a desk that you stack). I also quite often use them as a form of fidget toy by clipping two of them together, which I never really thought of doing so until I read this article.
As a former commercial printer and bike messenger, binder clips have long held my utmost respect. What tickles me is that I used a half sheet size clipboard that resembles his as a messenger with binder clips holding my ncr (carbon paper and ncr paper could be another fruitful chapter here) receipt forms. I wouldn’t have guessed that one person would contribute so much to my day-to-day!
They’re my preferred food bag clip (chips, cereal, etc.) Also, I find the Staples brand that are silver rather than black are my favorites. Did you know you can remove the handles by pinching the sides together at the base? I haven’t found a reason to do this, just happened to discover it’s possible.
I’ve removed them after clipping something that I wanted to be semi-permanently together. Sort of a tamper proof clip at that point. I must have something clipped like that somewhere at the moment because I have a spare set of handles in my desk drawer.
I'm sure this is mentioned in some of the 'life hacks' videos, but we keep a few in our travel kit and use them to keep curtains closed on hotel rooms so the sun doesn't wake us up. You can also use the trouser clips on wooden hangers, if they are available in the room, but the binder clips are easier and more secure.
So, I shit you not, after reading this a girl I know from Instagram posted that she'd used a binder clip to replace a button that fell off her shirt. Truly one of the most versatile things that exists.
We use big binder clips to hold the blanket that's our bedroom curtain. Put up the first day we moved in and never found a reason to replace them.
In much the way you helped me put a finger on my love of neon signs, you just unlocked my sense of adoration for binder clips. They're amazing. Thanks for helping me bring this into focus!
I have always been a fidgeter and have tried a variety of fidget toys at my office. By far my favorite one is just a simple binder clip. I clip it on things, flick the handles back and forth, rub along the contours, put it on my fingers, remove and replace the handles, etc. I always keep a couple extras on my desk.
The THWAP video made me laugh. Yes, so satisfying!!!
I’ve even met a woman with a binder clip tattoo. I was so struck by it that I struck up a conversation with her at Coachella. I ended up running into her again at a later Coachella, and while I didn’t quite register her face as familiar, the tattoo was a dead giveaway.
I use a silver one as my wallet. I surround my license and credit cards with cash. To quote Kramer, “I keep the big bills on the outside.” To quote Jerry, “It’s a five!”
Binder clips, especially the large ones, are my favorite snack bag clip.
I thought they were called Bulldog clips https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_313295
But a quick search showed the history and difference between the two clips and the naming conventions.
https://alloftheanimals.com/why-are-bulldog-clips-called-that/
Also, if Brannock had invented something as equally useful as the Brannock Device, what would he have called it? Brannock's 2nd Device? You see the problem.
I hate binder clips. Why? Because whenever I was at a desk with a binder clip in the drawer, I'd end up fidgeting with it, and eventually use it to clip my fingers. All I see when I look at these things is the snapping pain of my own boredom.
I LOVE binder clips! Thank you for this excellent article about them. I knew nothing about their invention before, so now I know whom to thank for their creation. Thanks to you, too, for giving me new ideas about how to use them. I already use them to hang up calendars and to keep my toothpaste tube tidy and to keep my cereal package closed, but you've opened up a new binder clip world for me! I partiularly like your idea of using them as tiny stands for tiny works of art. My sisters know of my love of binder clips, so I will often find binder clips in my Christmas stocking. Reading your article was a great way to start my morning.
Peak IC. I use these things for EVERYTHING. Without going into detail, because it doesn't matter to get the point across, I used a binder clip in two different applications to re-ink a self-inking stamp pad just this morning. These things are that versatile.
Just looking at my desk, I have one holding a bag of candy closed, a few managing computer cables, and a handful holding mismatched stackable letter trays together (think "inbox" on a desk that you stack). I also quite often use them as a form of fidget toy by clipping two of them together, which I never really thought of doing so until I read this article.
As a former commercial printer and bike messenger, binder clips have long held my utmost respect. What tickles me is that I used a half sheet size clipboard that resembles his as a messenger with binder clips holding my ncr (carbon paper and ncr paper could be another fruitful chapter here) receipt forms. I wouldn’t have guessed that one person would contribute so much to my day-to-day!
They’re my preferred food bag clip (chips, cereal, etc.) Also, I find the Staples brand that are silver rather than black are my favorites. Did you know you can remove the handles by pinching the sides together at the base? I haven’t found a reason to do this, just happened to discover it’s possible.
Yes the all-silver variety is especially cool.
I meant to mention the handles' removability but forgot to include that. Like you, I've never felt the need to do that.
I’ve removed them after clipping something that I wanted to be semi-permanently together. Sort of a tamper proof clip at that point. I must have something clipped like that somewhere at the moment because I have a spare set of handles in my desk drawer.
I'm sure this is mentioned in some of the 'life hacks' videos, but we keep a few in our travel kit and use them to keep curtains closed on hotel rooms so the sun doesn't wake us up. You can also use the trouser clips on wooden hangers, if they are available in the room, but the binder clips are easier and more secure.
I came here to say this about the hotel curtains!
So, I shit you not, after reading this a girl I know from Instagram posted that she'd used a binder clip to replace a button that fell off her shirt. Truly one of the most versatile things that exists.
I've used them to keep a scarf in place.