# Staple Issue

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/staple-issue/44626
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 8, 2000, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/staple-issue/44626 "2000-12-08T14:50:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2000, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/staple-issue/44626/1 "2000-12-08T14:50:50Z")

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I read this question in this weeks edition (2 Dec) of New Scientist.

“Why do staplers have a rotating plate in the base so you can make the staples fold inwards or outwards? Outward facing staples don’t hold the paper together as well, so what’s it for?”

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### Author: ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2000, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/staple-issue/44626/2 "2000-12-08T15:01:13Z")

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If you only need to have a set of papers temporarily attached to each other, an outwardly-bent staple is easier to remove and will not damage the papers as much as an inwardly-bent one.

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### Author: ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/staple-issue/44626/3 "2000-12-08T15:02:33Z")

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The issue was discussed in this thread:

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41230](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41230)

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### Author: ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2000, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/staple-issue/44626/4 "2000-12-08T15:04:46Z")

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Thanks !

How come I couldn’t find the thread when I searched earlier?

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### Author: ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2000, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/staple-issue/44626/5 "2000-12-08T16:09:56Z")

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The search function currently defaults to threads which have been active within the past five days. To run a search of the entire GQ, archives, one has to adjust that to “all threads.” When doing so, one also wants to restrict the forum, or the search takes forever.