El Casco: M-15 stapler and M-200 hole punch

- Piece of the month
In May we have decided to show you this fantastic set: a stapler and hole punch by El Casco, in their luxury versions. It is a donation by the entrepreneur from Eibar, Mikel Izagirre, and comes in a cardboard box lined with black velvet. The El Casco stapler has been manufactured since 1935 and is now considered a classic among designers. As piece of the month, today its luxury version, plated in 23.4 carat gold, is still available for purchase.
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The desk stapler has an elongated base. At one end it has a device with a rounded head which is pressed to activate the stapling mechanism. The arm is fitted with a practical spring-activated system which pushes the staples out one after the other. The base on which the staple is closed once ejected has a selector on which the staple closing strength can be regulated.

In the case of the hole punch, its main characteristics are its shape and efficiency. By pressing the handle downwards towards the base, it can punch a hole in any kind of paper. Its rounded shape also makes it sit well with the hand. The base, on the other hand, is rectangular; straight at the front and rounded at the back, the same shape as the lever.

Given that the company originally manufactured arms, the El Casco parts and mechanisms are highly precise. Their objects are made in steel to very high standards and with an excellent finish; they are precise, hard-wearing and made to last. The mechanical production process includes reaming, drilling, rectification and shaping, after which it is polished (by hand, a minimum of three times) and plated in copper, nickel and chrome. Also, the fact that no welding is used on the pieces means they can be taken completely apart. They are made to last a lifetime and their fine quality guarantees that they will never fail.

The company was created by former workers at Orbea, Juan Solozabal Mendive and Juan Olave Bilbao, on 7th September 1920. Making most of their weapons knowledge, they started to make high-quality revolvers. However, as said above, they had already started making office accessories by 1935, precisely the M-5 stapler and the M-500 counter. In view of their success, they soon decided to diversify their production with pencil sharpeners, hole punches, etc., but always with the objective of guaranteeing that their articles were of high mechanical reliability. According to their creators, ?a staple should move through the stapler with the same precision as a bullet through the barrel of a gun."

The company was destroyed by bombing during the Civil War and moved into Blas Etxebarria?s new building in 1940. From then on, and until the 70s, they were the market leaders. Today they still export to more than 40 countries, above all selling their products in luxury stationery shops. Since 2010 the company has had its premises in Elgeta where, even if they have improved their manufacturing processes, they remain faithful to mechanical reliability and aesthetics.