Swingline

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Swingline

22 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 29, 2025

  When I came to USA and attended HS in 1994 I bought a mini Swingline stapler, now I am turning 40 soon and still using this in my work desk.

  Completely agree with your assessment. Forgive my repeating some of your comments—they are well worth repeating! I am such a cheerleader for Swingline mini staplers. They are little engineering wonders: (1) The ergonomic design fits nicely in the hand and has a wider, different shape, that requires less force—makes a huge difference for my thumb/hand arthritis; (2) staple storage compartment; (3) staple remover; (4) takes regular size staples; (5) never jams. They are the only staplers I use. I’ve given these mini staplers as gifts for several years. Everyone seems to get that “pleasantly delighted surprise” kind of smile. Engineering types see the well-conceived design. They make a unique, inexpensive gift, such as this past Christmas. Gave them to several adults and kids— all loved them. Even gave one to the tow truck guy who changed my car battery. Had asked if he could staple together the papers he had given me—but his stapler was jammed. Ran into the house, retrieved a black mini stapler, and gave it to him. Big smile. I think Swingline makes the best mini staplers—bc they’ve been doing it at least 60 years! Other companies make them, but none has Swingline’s history of engineering and design. I’m pretty sure they have several patents. They’ve been making them at least since the 1960s. My dad had a Swingline mini stapler in the 1960s. Boy, did they jam back in the day! Constantly. In the old days, they used mini staples that likely contributed to the jams. And when you turned in a paper for Mr. Brimhall’s high school English class, those dopey little mini staples looked childish and tacky. Reminded me in a way of my Easy Bake Oven that baked with a light bulb.😉Of course, Swingline significantly improved their design in the last 60 yrs. (See 1st para above.) I’ve mostly bought them on Amazon. Found a set of three (red, black, & cornflower blue) on both Amazon and at Target. I think they are also available on Swingline’s website. Mostly they seem to run between $4 and $6.50. If you get a set of three, the price per item may be a little lower. Beware of more expensive ones. There’s a ridiculously priced hot pink one on Amazon right now selling for—I’m not kidding you—$52! You could buy up to 13 mini staplers for $52! They come in fun colors: I’ve bought purple, red, cornflower blue, black, yellow, magenta, geranium (light red w/a hint of pink—hard to describe), lime green, orange, etc. Some colors may be seasonal— I believe I got the lime green, orange, and yellow in the spring/ summer. Forgive my longwinded ode to Swingline mini staplers. You’ll love ‘em too.

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• #2Dec 5, 2025

  Best thing to buy for $100

  Decent paring knives. Hario or Kalita Coffee Cone (Ceramic) Wall hanging magnetic block for kitchen knives Good minitripod for photography Stanley Hobby Vice US General Mini Tool Boxes from Harbor Freight Zippo Lighter Victornox Tinker Swiss Army Knife Antique Gillette Double Edge Razor Candle Stick Holder (brass) Kitchen Shears metal swingline stapler Icecream Scoop Kitchen Scraper Small Cast Iron frying pan Good gardening trowel

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• #3Oct 2, 2025

  What’s something you’ve bought once and never had to replace?

  Swingline Stapler. It's 30 years old and has 1 paint chip.

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• #4Aug 13, 2025

  Are we still doing staplers?

  Yeah--glad like cast iron pans of yester year--the Swingline made of metal is showing it's face in here.

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• #5Aug 12, 2025

  What's the oldest thing you still use daily that works like new?

  Same list of things I always post Cast Iron Fry pans over 100 years old Straight Edge Razors over 100 years old Double Edge Razor over 100 years old Swing Line Stapler from 1950s. Some hammers and an Axe over 100 years old Victorinox Swiss Army Knife over 50 years old Peugot and Zassenhause coffee grinders over 50 years old.

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• #6Aug 12, 2025

  Patent D-110796 from 1938. Four generations have handled this beast.

  Mine is the short, stubby version from about the same era as yours that has Speed Products Co, Long Island City on the bottom but it still says Swingline Speed Stapler 3 on the narrow front. FWIW, the upper handle is still attached on mine and it's some hard rubber cap on the top plate, not wood secured with rivets and screws. Mine's gone through 3 generations but could have been 4 if a few of us reproduced earlier/on average pace.

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• #7Aug 12, 2025

  Are we still doing staplers?

  Gotta be a Swingline too.

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• #8Aug 12, 2025

  Are we still doing staplers?

  Tbh, unless something has changed recently, I think new metal swinglines are still BIFL, at least they don’t seem to have changed at all in over 20 years and those ones are still around and kicking. It’s definitely been the gold standard brand for a long time.

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• #9Aug 12, 2025

  Are we still doing staplers?

  I have the modern day version of this stapler. Swingline and a similar colour. It’s got some weight to it and never misfires. I love it. When I bought it, my then ~10 year old, daughter used it and said “one day I hope to have a job where I staple important papers”.

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• #10Aug 12, 2025

  Buy it for several lifes

  Google A.I. says: *Swingline staplers are primarily manufactured in Nogales, Mexico, following the closure of their Long Island City, Queens, New York factory in 1999.* I liberated my half sized Swingline from a job I quit back in 1988. It's stamped "L.I.C., NY 11101" I still remember chatting with the office hottie as she idly used the tape gun to stamp out my name and then stick it on the stapler.

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• #11Aug 12, 2025

  Buy it for several lifes

  At one time in my life I was a teacher. Every year we would get cheap Chinese staplers and it would be broken by Christmas time. After years of frustration, I took almost my entire classroom budget of $75 and purchased a high-end swingline american-made stapler(the price was really inflated because we had to buy from the district's preferred vendor). 20 years later I was visiting my old classroom and the stapler was there!

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• #12Aug 12, 2025

  Buy it for several lifes

  I have a black one (Swingline) that looks a little more modern. It does say Long Island City, New York, and U.S.A. on it, though.

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• #13Aug 11, 2025

  Buy it for several lifes

  My favorite story about swing line stapler is that they didn’t have a red option until after office space came out. So many people requested a red swing line they started making them. I bought one 20 some years ago and still use it every day at work.

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• #14Aug 2, 2025

  That 50 Year Old Stapler He’s Had Since His First Job

  Thanks! I've got several Swinglines of various vintages (and a Speed Products predecessor), but I don't have one of those. Yet...

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• #15Aug 2, 2025

  That 50 Year Old Stapler He’s Had Since His First Job

  A Swingline 27

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• #16May 6, 2025

  What’s something you’ve had so long it feels like it’s legally part of your family

  One does not simply give away a steel Swingline Stapler.

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• #17Apr 11, 2025

  Staple-less staplers could be potentially BIFL?

  There's only one BIFL stapler I know of. Milton's iconic Red Swingline 747 from Office Space. A stapler so good, you'll set the building on fire before giving it up

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• #18Apr 11, 2025

  Staple-less staplers could be potentially BIFL?

  I've used these before and they're mediocre at best. Get a vintage (not sure if modern ones are as good) Swingline stapler. They're around 20 bucks on eBay.

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• #19Mar 12, 2025

  I (19M) need help with the mentality of "Buy it For Life" itself

  I have a record player from the 1980s I bought for life. company still makes turntables. Rega Planar Model. I have an amp I just parted with (for audiophile use) Mark Levinson that was amazing. I just bought a True Tone power supply for my guitar stuff that's likely going to work for 10 to 15 years . I have guitars that date back to the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s that work just fine!!! You got it though it's those every day things---my Victorinox SAK--had it my whole life and a second one they service -done it twice when the scales broke. I have old double edge razors that are well over 100 years old that I got in shoe boxes at flea markets that just keep going and going (had them in daily use for myself over 40 years). Straight edge razors same. I have a fountain pen (I don't use it) but with ink it still works. Quality hand tools are GREAT. Cast iron frying pans in daily use that are well over 100 years old . A leather jacket I picked up in Europe at a street market new---45 years in use --not a button has come off. My motorcycle (Triumph) is 25 years old and I've only needed to replace cables, update the chain, headlight, service the breaks. Vices and Anvils, A butcher block table well over 80 years old---Danner boots that keep going and going. My shoe shine kit that's over 70 years old (was my dad's passed to me). Kitchen utensils----I love this old stuff, cleans up well, works daily , keeps going. I even have our families old rotary phone from the 1960s that I changed some wiring to (as a goof)--and it will ring as an internet phone next to my computer. GAF view masters, stereo opticons, magnifying glasses, an old old swing line stapler and hole punch-----

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• #20Jan 7, 2025

  Mom used the same SDI stapler for 32 years at the office. You can still buy these NEW, and they're literally the same

  Need to protect the Swingline! https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExOTc4Zml2dzlsd3ZraDV4Y3J6cnlrNXQzZjVheHhiYW1jdmcyOTB0cSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/40d1Z4ZkY9Ysg/200.webp

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• #21Jan 7, 2025

  Mom used the same SDI stapler for 32 years at the office. You can still buy these NEW, and they're literally the same

  My swingline is older than me. I think it was my grandparents originally. I just took it with me when I left home lol.

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• #22Jan 1, 2025

  What's the oldest item you still use daily that has withstood the test of time, and what's its story?

  I don’t use it every day but I’m in my 40s and still have and use the Swingline stapler I got in third grade. 

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