Paper Clips

Pros: I'm not sure that paper clips could ever be made more effective than they are now. The design is so simple and elegant that it's almost erotic: The shape curves gently, and the metal is just pliant enough that it resists being bent, but slides apart with gentle pressure. Paper clips are also named almost perfectly; they clip papers together. They could also be called paper holders, or very-thin-things clips, but neither of those names have the same appeal. If you want to keep several papers together without damaging them with a stapler, a paper clip is probably your best option.

Cons: Paper clips are not very sturdy. They break with repeated use and degrade over time. This is, unfortunately, an unavoidable side effect of their already mentioned pliability. They can also leave marks on the papers being clipped, either imprints from pressure or gray dust from the degradation of the metal. Also, past a certain number of papers, the basic paper clip becomes useless. There are large paper clips, but they're not nearly as effective as binder clips for higher paper volume. (The binder clip is named very poorly, as it is almost never used to clip binders.)

Grade: B