Beyond pens and paper, I enjoy desk and reading accessories, including bookmarks, analog timers, scissors, pencil sharpeners, and more. I’ve written a lot about these previous categories, but haven’t dealt much with another common office tool: the stapler! I’ve long been obsessed with the Zenith plier-style staplers from Italy, which are different from classic “desktop” model that you usually see in the U.S. Not only do these staplers have a unique and somewhat quirky design, but I find them more ergonomic to use as they require very little pressure.
I had a hard time choosing which of these colors I wanted for my personal stapler. It was a toss-up between the red and the yellow model, but I ultimately went with the red.
What Do I Look for in a Quality Stapler?
Because I like to work on paper, I frequently print out articles and documents to read and annotate, so my staplers see a lot of use. Honestly, you don’t realize how important a quality stapler is until you have a bad one. In my opinion, a good stapler has the following:
Good ergonomics, light weight, and the ability to staple at least 10 pages with minimal pressure.
An anti-jam feature that prevents the stapler from getting clogged/blocked.
Maneuverability so that you can precisely place the staple where you need it.
A relatively compact size so you can tuck it away. I’ve been trying to limit the amount of stuff that sits on my desk to the things I’m actually using at any given time.
The Zenith staplers tick all of these boxes for me. Not only are they more compact and lightweight than my classic vintage-style desktop staplers, but the smaller staples are easy to position precisely on documents and don’t jam nearly as much as the larger standard-size U.S. staples. Refilling the Zenith stapler is straightforward: You simply push the “trigger” part of the handle forward and lift the top to access the dispensing mechanism. Drop in your staples, snap it shut, and you’re ready to go.
Once you open the top, reloading the stapler should be a familiar experience for most people.
Note: The Zenith 590 and Zenith 591 look nearly identical and are roughly the same size, but they take different staples. The Zenith 590 takes Zenith 130 Staples, which are slightly larger than the No. 10 staples that fit the Zenith 591. (No. 10 staples are a common size in Japan - the original target market for the Zenith 591 - and the same size staples that fit “mini staplers” like those found in the Midori XS Stationery Kit.) Each stapler ships with a box of 1000 Zenith-brand staples, which are among some of the sharpest I’ve used. They posed no issues even with thicker paper and are rated for up to 15 sheets.
The classic Zenith 590 is the 590 “Mix” style, featuring four different colors.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Though plier-style staplers can be somewhat uncommon in the U.S., you can find them if you look. I first saw these Zenith models at C.W. Pencil Enterprise 5 or 6 years ago, and meant to purchase one before they closed, but I missed the opportunity and they fell off my radar. Fortunately I’ve been able to source a handful of Zenith colors for the shop in both the 590 and 591 models, along with compatible staples (which are commonly available). I would love to make this a core offering of the Desk Accessories/Office Supplies category, and have just been looking for the right opportunity to bring these in. I hope you all like them as much as I do.
The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us and see any products we sell directly at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee!
If you would like to see a demonstration of how the Zenith 591 Stapler works, head on over to our YouTube channel. After initially posting this review, I decided to do a quick video showing how to use and reload the Zenith.
