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Reference.org
Staple remover
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<p>A staple remover (also known as a destapler) is a device that allows for the quick removal of a <a href="/facts/Staple_(fastener)/2Eth6cEW">staple</a> from a material without causing damage. The best-known form of staple remover, designed for light-<a href="/facts/American_wire_gauge/z4yWQfgt">gauge</a> staples, consists of two opposing, pivot-mounted pairs of thin, steep wedges and a <a href="/facts/Spring_(device)/jknGXzTq">spring</a> that returns the device to the open position after use. Although a simple metal <a href="/facts/Wedge_(mechanical_device)/Wohjlsa2">wedge</a> can be used for the same purpose, and although some <a href="/facts/Stapler/tPV9sPLm">staplers</a> (especially small ones about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long) feature such a wedge at their hinge end, use of the wedge tends to tear fragile <a href="/facts/Paper/FUETwwKV">papers</a>. </p>