Paper clips are wonderful when you need to temporarily couple pages together. They are a great invention. (I wish I had thought up the idea!) Although easily and frequently lost, they are inexpensive and easy to use. I can’t think of anyone ever having to be told, except perhaps young children, how to use one. Their application is self-evident in the design. As good as they are, however, they are not the be all and end all for every paper fastening purpose.
Scotch Permanent Glue Stick fills a need that paper clips simply cannot. It attaches pages permanently without need of a piece of twisted metal to create a bulge in the corner of your pile of copies. For documents of two – three pages that are intended to remain attached, it is a nice alternative to the old stand-by ‘permanent’ attaching appliance – the common staple.
Simply swiping it a couple of times on one of the surfaces to be attached does the trick. It seems to work equally well with paper or smooth fabrics and in a few weeks of trying it out on multiple types and thicknesses of both things, I have found it to be quite consistently reliable. Of course, it is NOT “super glue.’ That is just as well because those products are not intended for use on either paper or fabric. The right adhesive for the right material and job – That is the ticket!
Earlier incarnations of glue sticks were entirely unsatisfactory. Often made from either a modern rendition of what we called as kids in school, white “paste” or a more solid variety of the milk-product based adhesive found in Elmer’s and other popular wood and multi-purpose glues, it simply did not hold very well.
Nothing frustrates kids (or some of us adults) more than giving them something to use that doesn’t really do the job. Just ask a third grader what s/he thinks about dull, round pointed scissors! I had given up on using glue sticks at all until I discovered this Permanent Glue Stick from 3M’s Scotch Division.
This product is both washable (ever get some super glue on your fingers by mistake? Washability is of the essence, especially if it is to be used by children or by less than completely fastidious adults. It is also washable in the sense that if used to glue pieces of fabric together, it holds the bond in the wash. Having lived through the era of “Jiffy Sew” fabric glue in the early 1960’s, I can recommend this Scotch Glue Stick as a welcome advance in that technology.
It is also non-toxic. Again, a boon for teachers and parents who want the children to be able to use a glue that will really hold things together that cannot hurt them – even if injected.
Inexpensive and commonly available at most drug and craft stores, Scotch Permanent Glue Stick offers the best of both worlds. It really sticks and holds paper and fabrics together and is not dangerous.
There are still many appropriate uses for paper clips, staples and more ‘industrial strength’ bonding materials. However, when the need is ‘light’ with papers or smooth fabrics, and/or when you need a product that will actually work and neither frustrate nor endanger children; you might want to give Scotch Permanent Glue Stick a try.
