Wire is wound around a rod to make the coil spring that pushes staples forward. A thin strip is bent into the leaf spring, shaped like a little diving board, that pops the head back up. Heat treatment gives both their bounce.

A coil feeder unrolls steel strip between a punch and a die, and each stroke shears out a flat part. The base, anvil, magazine and metal head all start this way, with no operator holding the metal.

Hydraulic presses fold the flat blanks into channels and boxes. Some machines punch and bend in one operation, cutting the number of setups.

Short slugs cut from steel bar are forged into rivets with a head at one end and a hollow at the other. The hinge pin is just a length of strong, heat-treatable bar.

Plastic for the handle cap and base cover is injected into a die, cooled and popped out.

Metal parts that will show, or that could rust, are hung on racks and painted.

Workers lay the base, anvil and leaf spring into a jig that holds every hole in line, and a machine sets the rivets. The top half, with the magazine, pusher spring and head, is built the same way in its own jig.

A hinge pin joins top and bottom so the head can swing. Next the plastic cap snaps on last, along with rubber feet that stop it skidding across a desk.

Inspectors check that samples staple cleanly, and some units are worked over and over until something wears out. The worn part tells engineers whether it was ordinary use or a flaw in design or assembly.