Stanley Bostitch 1/2" Heavy Duty Staples 5000pk - BOSSB3512-5M

This is an introduction to what staples you should buy. I’ll go over how to search for it, and other information you might not know about staples.

First off, many—if not most—staplers are labeled with what staple type it uses. This is often found inside, where the staples are loaded in.

If it’s not labeled, then check product page of the stapler and staples—staples especially are labeled with compatible staplers if they are custom. You can also check the box your stapler came in.

Most desktop staplers will use either premium or standard staples. Unless labeled otherwise, these are a 1/4” length. And they come in different sized strips, most commonly with 210 staples.

You may also find staples labeled with a fraction. This number is wire gauge(or thickness), and the length length in millimeters.

For the gauge, the larger the number, the thinner the wire is. So if you see a 26/6 staple, this is a standard sized 1/4” staple. A 26/8 staple is a standard 5/16” staple.

Now, each staple supports a different amount of pages—do remember that your stapler will determine the limit because it will only support certain size of staples.

Some staples use custom staples, like cartridges. In this case, custom staples are usually well labeled with what stapler they are used in.

If, when you staple, two staples come out at the same time. This probably means you need heavy duty staples. The gauge on these are thicker than standard staples.

If your staples are only getting stuck, then you might need a thinner gauge of staple. Or more commonly, you might need to buy a new stapler.