What do you need for school? A pen, pencil and eraser, maybe a compass, or protractor and ruler if you’re in Geometry. You can also have fun little trinkets or toys, if you have enough space in your pencil case. As I cram things in my 367.5 cm³ polypropylene pen case, I look at my junkyard-of-a-desk at home, and wonder why I don’t bring some of them to school. Well, I can, despite the fact that they could never fit in my case, or be useful in class. Here are 5 stationeries that are novel, but dubious in usefulness:
- Springbow Compass
Ever wanted to make 10 inch circles? Or pretend you have a fancy, heavy antique device? It probably is neither, but with this 6-⅛” compass, you can do both.
This is a double-hinged geometry compass from Blick, but many other companies manufacture compasses like this. They are bigger than the common dollar-store compasses, and have a better build quality. These types of compasses are made of solid metal (mine is zinc-coated brass) that effortlessly keeps the compass down on paper. The mechanism for adjusting the legs is also more reliable compared to the regular cheap compass. Instead of relying on friction at the hinge, there’s a scroll wheel that opens or closes the legs via a perpendicular screw. It uses a small piece of lead, as opposed to an entire golf pencil, making it easier to secure and less likely to wobble around.
While this sounds like a luxury to use, its weight and size also must be considered when not in use. It’s difficult to carry in rigid cases, adds noticeable weight, and its thin screw threading is too delicate to chuck unprotected in a bag.
In the end, while this is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, with its solid metal construction and intricate adjustment mechanisms, it's overkill for your basic geometry applications. It is essential in art and architecture, but in other hands, it really acts like an art piece.
- Folding Scissors
On the opposite spectrum, is a rather useful item. Unlike the springbow compass, which is a large heavy-duty tool, the folding scissor is a lighter, more compact version of a regular scissor. This mini scissor can fold to easily fit inside of a pencil case. When folded, it’s no longer than a pen, albeit a bit wider. It does half of what a scissor can do because it’s half-length. It’s good for trimming or cutting small pieces, but cutting entire sheets of paper would be arduous. And don’t even think about cutting more than 3 sheets at once; it’s a compact cutter, not a heavy duty shear. While it’s very light and niche in usage, the spring-loaded handle does make it a fidget toy of sorts. The tapping of the handles makes quite a satisfying sound. But don’t do it too much; it’ll wear down the blades.
- Stapleless Stapler
Yet another novelty item, this is a stapler that costs no staples. How is this possible? How does it even work? I had the same thoughts when I bought it, followed by “holy cow” when I saw my receipt. For three times the price of a conventional mini stapler, this device cuts an arrow, and a line. In the same press that cuts the two shapes, it folds the arrow into the line, with the corners of the arrow locking it in. Like that, the paper is stapled. It seems like magic. But like all other novelties, this comes with drawbacks. The bond is slightly weaker and less reliable than conventional staples, and it could only staple about five sheets maximum.
- Electric Eraser
Introducing…the electric eraser, where 5% of it is actual eraser, and the rest is battery, motor, and casing! It’s the size of a bundle of pens, yet the eraser part itself is smaller than the ones found in a mechanical pencil. But it has some use, right? Why else would it be manufactured?
Its strength lies in the scrubbing power and precision of the small, hard eraser head. On top of the obvious fact that you don’t have to exert your wrists, the high speed motor also buzzes off the toughest inscribed pencil marks. They usually come with two bags of eraser replacements, one thin and one wide. This allows for precise erasures, or mass scrubbing. Just mind all the eraser crumbs that come from this.
It would be useful if you have space for it, but in the end, just bring the small erasers and use them by hand.
- Bendy Ruler
Last, and certainly least, is the bendy ruler. It’s a ruler. That bends. That's it. That’s all it does. You could wave it around, perhaps. You could try to measure circumference with this, but a tailor’s tape would provide a more accurate measurement, being flatter and more flexible. On a final note, this ruler is 1/16ths of an inch shorter than an actual ruler. Literally unusable.
There are many more unique pieces of stationary out there, some practical, some fun. These five were just what I had lying around. My editor tells me to rate them, but ratings are arbitrary and subjective. I’ll let you figure it out.