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10 Interesting Stationery Facts That You Probably Never Knew!

Office essentials can be more interesting than they seem, trust us! A huge number of the UK’s workforce are using stationery day in and day out, but how much do they really know about the world of office supplies? In honour of #NationalStationeryWeek, we’ve explored some awesome facts about stationery that you probably never knew!

 

  • Post it notes were not invented, they were created by accident

Spencer Silver was working away back in 1968 trying to create a strong adhesive but could only come up with a very weak adhesive that could be removed without leaving behind any marks and the world of post-it notes was born!

 

  • Pencils have proven mightier than pens

The average lead pencil can draw a continuous line for approx. 35 miles. However, if you would like to test this, we would suggest bringing along a handful of sharpeners too and film it as we’d love to see it!

 

  • Yellow highlighters account for around 85% of all sales

As yellow is in the middle spectrum of visible light, yellow ink highlighters work really well for people with colour blindness and this is one of the biggest reasons for the high quantities of yellow highlighters ordered.

 

  • The world’s most expensive pen sold for 8 million dollars

Back in 2010, the ‘Fulgor Nocturnus’ pen sold for 8 million dollars at a Shanghai auction and was decorated with 945 black diamonds and 123 rubies. What we want to know is, did the owner actually use it or simply just admire it!

 

  •  45 million ink cartridges are sent to landfill sites in the UK

In summary, to help you visualise this fact, it would cover the Manchester’s United football ground at Old Trafford, 17 times.

 

  • One pine tree can make just over 80,000 sheets of paper

 

  •  Pen lids cause an average of 100 deaths a year

How many times have you been told off by a teacher or employee for chewing on a pen-lid? Here’s why! To help people breathe, many pen manufacturers now put holes in the pen lids to help prevent choking.

  • Before rubbers were created, stale bread was used!

This works, honest we’re not pulling your leg! Why not try it out for yourself next time you leave a loaf in the cupboard for too long?

 

  • Pencils can also write underwater

Yes, it’s true a pencil will also work in water although, we’re not sure how well the paper will fare. What’s more, pencils can also write in zero gravity!

 

  • Staplers were originally called ‘Hotchkiss’

The stapler was initially named after the company, E.H. Hotchkiss of Norwalk who invented it.

 

  • Quills Office Supplies for UK businesses

So now we’ve enlightened you to a few fun facts about the world of stationery you can tell all your friends what you’ve learned!  One other key fact is that some Office Supplies providers like Quills can simplify the ordering process as your one-stop shop for all your office services. Take a look at all our services.