Metal Binder Clips, Black, 19 mm

A binder clip holds a stack of loose sheets together without punching a hole in anything. The lacquered steel body springs shut on the paper, and the two nickel wire handles either fold flat against the stack once the clip is on, or pull off completely so the clip sits flush in a file.

Sizes are measured across the mouth of the clip, and each size has a working limit. Forcing too thick a stack into a small clip is what splays the wire and leaves the jaw permanently open, so it is worth keeping two or three sizes in the drawer rather than making one do everything. They earn their keep well beyond paper too — closing a bag of pigment, tidying a cable, or clamping a glued repair while it dries.

19 mm is the everyday small clip: a short handout, a stapled set you would rather not staple, a sketchbook section held open at the page you are working on.

• Lacquered steel body with removable nickel wire handles
• Handles fold flat against the stack, or detach completely
• Holds paper without punching, stapling or adhesive
• Reusable indefinitely if it is not overloaded