There is a difference between these two products and let’s be honest about the merits of both.

Scotch Tape by 3M is far easier to apply. It makes no noise when separating from the reel (we think that’s a positive) and it is very clear on paper. It also has the ability for the user to write on it or over it if necessary and this is very useful. It also comes out clear, without any sign of the edges, when photocopied which can be incredibly helpful. (should you need to photocopy something with tape on it, that is!)

We have all, at one time or another, struggled to find the end of roll of Sellotape which can be really awkward and frustrating and can result in my impatience being taken out on work colleagues or small animals! It really needs to be scrunched at the end ready for the next use to stop this irritation occurring. It tends to make a rather noticeable tearing sound when pulling off a length (not sure if this is a problem!) and it also yellows with age. However, it is a lot stronger than it’s rival and generally (and I stress the word “generally”) this is the important difference.

After all this is what it is used for? Holding things together! And really, what’s the point of holding things together for a while!

Personally, I would choose Sellotape over Scotch Tape but just beware the damage it can cause when used to hold antiques together (like that ancient Monopoly/Scrabble/Buckaroo box).

Billy 2012

What amazes me is that there are so many storage boxes on offer. The whole point of a storage box is to put something in it and kinda forget it! What difference does it make if it is branded or unbranded?

It doesn’t need to do much. You want something that is going to be rigid, easy to assemble and have a clear, easy to see label on one side that can be written with a marker pen so the contents within are easily identifiable. We would always recommend the 5 Star range for these 5 reasons.

• They are exceptional value (which lets face it, is probably the best of all reasons).
• They have clear areas on the side of the box to write details of their contents.
• They are from recycled sources, so they meet green requirements.
• They are rigid and sturdy enough to hold most things.
• They have clear instructions for assembly.

This last one is really important as there is nothing more irritating than having some complicated storage box that takes an eternity to assemble. We have all been there cursing at the instructions that appear “simple” but in truth need a rocket scientist to assemble! Get one that’s really simple, before you let loose your anger on some innocent passer-by!

Billy the box boy! 2012

Nobo Adhesive Gridding Tape (055034)

This useful little product works in conjunction with a whiteboard. Basically, it is a thin role of sticky black or red tape that can be used to produce grids on a whiteboard. This can be really helpful if you want to use a whiteboard to display statistics, such as laying out the days of the month for a sales office to display the daily sales figures.

A great tip for doing this as to take the whiteboard off the wall and lay it flat on a desk or better still on the floor. You can then carefully measure out where you want to set the gridlines and mark them out. This way you can get the tape in as straight a line as possible on the surface of the board. Be as careful as you can because if the lines are wonky or the boxes uneven, you (and your colleagues) will be looking at them for a long time to come.  Don’t rush into it and then wish you'd taken a little more time initially!

Fortunately, if you do make a mistake, the tape comes off without leaving a mark so you can reuse the board and change the shapes and sizes of your grid to your heart’s content!

The great thing is that a whiteboard cleaner can clean right over the tape so you don’t need to worry about the tape coming off at the beginning of every month, when you’re ready with the latest sales figures!

Billy April 2012

For the price difference between these different products it is most definitely worthwhile paying the extra and getting the magnetic board. For a start it allows you to use those great big colourful magnets, which can be placed around the board to mark things you want to draw attention to and help you express your points (and you can feel like teacher once again!).

From a “users” point of view the magnets are useful to “stick” items to the board – allowing it to sort of double up as a notice board. This is particularly useful because some offices have limited space for a notice board. This also saves the expense of a having to purchase a separate notice board as well. Also, (and probably my favourite reason) is that it means you’ll never lose the board rubber again! That is because there is a magnetic board rubber (28040X) which I love as its right where it needs to be rather than relegated to the top shelf of the stationery cupboard at a height no one can access!!

A Clean Billy! 2012

There are so many different types of plastic pockets on the market, that they really need explaining.

Firstly you need to know which type of opening you want. Do you want to slip them in from the top (short edge) or do you want to slip them in from the side (the long edge)? The advantage of the side is that documents can be inserted and removed really easily. You can also get them in and out of the top though a little more care is needed.

Secondly, you need to decide if you want the plastic to be “glass clear” or to have the “mottled” effect. The difference between these is that the glass clear can enable the content to be viewed more clearly though the mottled effect can reduce glare.

Then you need to decide on the weight of the plastic itself. Lightweight or heavier. If you are going to insert documents into plastic pockets to go into a file that are likely to stay there for ever then the cheapest type/weight is absolutely fine. The advantage of the heavier weight of plastic is that the product is more robust and can take a bit more usage. Also, the weightier ones tend to come with stronger reinforced plastic strips.

You’ll need to decide on brand! Because these products are an absolutely core item in your stationery armoury, there are a wide variety of brands available, each offering the merits I’ve described to lesser and greater degrees. In addition to these, there is the very special “gusseted” version which enables larger quantities of paper to be added (though of course you can only see the front page) and in some instances these can accommodate around 20 pages. These come with metal edges which are super strong.

As with more and more products, there are also sustainable versions which meet with all your green criteria, from being manufactured with recycled material, to being completely biodegradeable.

So, to summarise, the questions you’ll need to ask yourself,

1. How much use do I think they will get?

2. Am I brand loyal or could go for an unbranded cheaper version?

3. Is the green aspect important to me?

4. Do i intend to stuff loads of sheets of paper into them?

Hopefully, by outlining some of the pro’s and cons of each type, we've helped make your decision a little bit easier!

Billy March 2012

We are impressed with the new Frixion Pens, we think they’re clever, really clever! We congratulate our friends at Pilot, someone there is pretty clever!!

The highlighter is especially clever. Anyone that can invent a highlighter that emits a bright glow that can be removed by a rubber is really clever. Especially when that rubber is part of the same pen – clever or what? These are really useful for offices and students alike as a really easy and practical way of removing pink or yellow highlighting. Pilot has produced one of these for every nib type… yes, every nib type – clever eh? Fineliner, rollerball or ballpoint they all have the “clever” rubber at the end.

Any why, you may be asking, are they called Frixion? Well, the clue is in the name. The friction that is generated by rubbing the ink that’s on the paper is all that’s required to remove it! We think that’s pretty ………… smart!

In fact, we like them so much, we’re giving them away. Check out our fantastic offer of FREE Pens and a FREE Pencil case.

Billy Jan 2012

Back in the early noughties, 3M had the idea to investigate how people used sticky tape. They concluded that the average length that a person would cut a piece of tape was 5cm. (How they found this out is a subject for another blog – stay awake at the back!)

They came up with the very clever idea of inserting individual 5cm pieces of Scotch Magic Tape into a dispenser that can be desk mounted on a weighted mount. Alternatively, the dispenser can be  worn around the wrist of the user in a rather unusual way. However silly you might feel “wearing” this item, the experience while wrapping presents of being able to pull pre-cut 5cm pieces of tape is one of an unparalleled joy (well, it’s really quite convenient anyway!).

If you use lots of tape, then this is the product for you. Even if the only times of the year you’d use such a gadget are Christmas birthdays, you’d still appreciate it more than you’d think. However if you are “old school”, you might prefer the traditional method of tearing tape and leaving differing lengths hanging over the edge of the desk, then maybe you should stick to Sellotape!

Check out the Scotch pre-cut tape strips here

Helpful Billy 2012

As far as I can tell, the only difference between these two types of pens is that, when used on a Drywipe board, the permanent markers are a pain in the neck and can cause a problematic stain. Fortunately we are full of helpful stationery hints and you can see just how to remove these annoying marks it you read one of our other blogs! (see “How to remove a permanent marker stain on a drywipe board!”)

When choosing which pen type to use, we would suggest taking the Drywipe markers. Both can be used in most applications quite satisfactorily and having the Drywipe markers removes the possibility of some Charlie using the wrong type of pen on the Drywipe board!

Both types are appropriate to a multitude of applications – they can quite happily be used to mark boxes or label the sides of lever arch files and are generally suitable for most other uses you would have for a permanent marker – and they can also be used on a Drywipe board. The only instances where you might want a permanent marker is if you really are sure that what you're writing mustn’t be removed and that what you're writing on will never be used for anything else!

There are many types of Drywipe markers and many popular brands but here at Cheapstationery we recommend 5 Star. They are the best value and of sufficient quality to last as long as any branded Drywipe marker, all of which end up drying out and need replacing eventually.

Billy trying to save you money!  Jan 2012

Well if sales are anything to go by the answer would have to be a resounding ....”yes”. Remember the old bottle and brush? As ever, the demise of one thing spawns the birth of another, in this case the correction mouse!

Ultimately certain office products tend to die away to become relics of history, residing only in the memory and the archives. Who can remember using carbon paper to create a carbon copy? Once upon a time it was an absolute office essential along with typewriter ribbons! Remember the 5¼ diskette? Quite revolutionary at the time but now laid to rest in that great office products cupboard in the sky, with the thermal fax roll on its last legs too and due to join it any minute!

Fortunately or not, the Tippex bottle and brush are in just the same boat. It was so revolutionary, so useful, convenient and easy to use. Just dab a blob of white paint on your errors. Originally invented by the mum of Mike Nesmith, one of the Monkees (the one with the woolly hat!), it soon became a fixture in offices the world over. Sadly, with the advent of electronic printers and a different culture means we are just as likely these days to reprint the entire document in less time than it took to open the bottle, get through the crusty bit at the top and flourish your brush like Michelangelo.

Tell us what memories you have of bygone office essentials that have gone the way of the Dodo!

    Here lies Tippex?

Nostalgic Billy Dec 2011

P.S. Just so I don't upset anyone or find myself on the wrong end of a lawsuit, I do of course mean all forms of correction fluid, not just a particular German company's specific product which bears a brand name that has become synonymous with that product and all its competitors! Phew!

(ed.-Thanks for clearing that up Billy!)

This is a problem that can be easily solved (preferably when no one is looking so you can milk your efforts to the full extreme by pretending it took ages!!)

Simply write over the marks with a normal Drywipe marker pen! Then rub the two messes out together. There must be some special chemical within the Drywipe ink that once applied to the permanent ink seems to mingle and allow them both to be removed!

Whatever it is and how it works we don’t care!! It just works!! Brilliant!!

Brownie points to Billy!!

Billy Dec 2011