Paper Clips

The Definition

A piece of bent wire used to hold sheets of paper together. It is the universal symbol for "attachments" in the digital world and the go-to tool for resetting electronic devices, picking simple locks, or fidgeting during long meetings.

The Deep Dive

The "junk knowledge" surrounding the paper clip is the persistent myth that it was invented by a Norwegian named Johan Vaaler. During World War II, Norwegians wore paper clips on their lapels as a silent symbol of resistance against the Nazi occupation (signifying "we are bound together"). This led to a national pride that credited Vaaler with the invention.

In reality, Vaaler’s 1899 patent was for a clip that lacked the most important feature of the modern version: the inner loop. His design was impractical because the wire had to be physically lifted to insert paper, leading to torn documents.

  • The Gem Miracle: The paper clip we use today is technically known as the "Gem" clip. It was never patented, but it appeared in the catalogs of the Gem Manufacturing Company in Britain as early as the 1870's.

  • The Engineering Secret: The genius of the Gem design is "torsional resistance." By bending the wire into a double loop, the metal acts as a spring. When you slide it onto paper, the wire twists slightly; the metal’s desire to return to its original flat shape creates the "grip" that holds the pages together without piercing them.

The paper clip represents the pinnacle of "junk" engineering—a product so perfectly designed for its task that it has remained virtually unchanged for over 150 years. It succeeded where hundreds of more complex, patented "paper fasteners" failed, simply by being the most efficient use of a single piece of steel wire.

Fast Facts

  • The "Clippy" Legacy: In 1997, Microsoft introduced "Clippit" (better known as Clippy), an anthropomorphic paper clip assistant. It became one of the most polarizing figures in software history, eventually being retired as a symbol of "over-helpful" technology.

  • The Reset Button: The standard 1.25-inch paper clip has a wire diameter that is almost perfectly calibrated to fit into the "hard reset" pinholes of modern routers, smartphones, and external hard drives.

  • The One Red Paperclip: In 2005, a man named Kyle MacDonald famously started with a single red paper clip and, through a series of fourteen online trades, eventually "traded up" to a two-story house in Saskatchewan, Canada.

References

  • Petroski, H. (1992). The Evolution of Useful Things. Alfred A. Knopf.

  • Vaaler, J. (1899). Paper Clip Patent No. 636,272.

  • Ammer, C. (2013). The Dictionary of Clichés. Skyhorse Publishing.

  • The Museum of Modern Art. (2004). Humble Masterpieces.