6 hours ago
2025-6-19 8:57:45 AM UTC
This morning I read
Khamûl's latest
blog post about rusty staples in booklets and pamphlets. It made me wonder about my copy of the Welsh Review IV:4. The journal is stapled, but the staples are badly rusted and have already 'bled' into the paper, especially the innermost pages. Will these rust stains get worse and would I do well to remove the staples (and replace them by ...?) or should I keep the journal in its original state?
5 hours ago
2025-6-19 9:13:46 AM UTC
I would not replace them, as they are unlikely to get worse if they are already rusty and it looks strange with rust marks and new staples.
5 hours ago
2025-6-19 9:37:13 AM UTC
Trotter wrote:
I would not replace them, as they are unlikely to get worse if they are already rusty and it looks strange with rust marks and new staples.
I would also add that while they might look unsightly, they may in fact be holding the booklet together at this point. I once removed rusty staples from a booklet and the paper around the staple area was so brittle that the paper flaked and left slightly larger holes. I never added new staples as the paper was too brittle.
Plus the pump action of the stapler could do more harm than good with fragile paper.
4 hours ago
2025-6-19 9:59:49 AM UTC
Personally, if I wanted to do anything, I'd simply use renaissance wax on the staples (with paper carefully inserted between staple and booklet so you are only waxing the staple). It will prevent further corrosion and isolate the staples from the paper.
The lower arm of each staple on my copy has some rust and I have just ignored it (oddly the top part and the back of the staple are corrosion-free).
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