Officemate Round Head Fasteners

A small tool that earns its keep

A tiny box of round-head brads isn’t the flashiest addition to an office or workshop, but these 1.5-inch, gold-colored fasteners have been surprisingly versatile in my day-to-day tasks. I’ve pressed them into service for thick document packets, quick prototypes, and even a few craft experiments. They’re simple in design—two tines, a rounded head, and a stiff shank with a sharp point—but that simplicity is exactly what makes them useful.

Build and design

The Officemate fasteners have the classic round head and a brass-colored finish. The head is smooth and slightly domed, with edges that don’t catch on paper or clothing. The shanks are stiff enough to hold their shape during insertion, and the tips are notably sharp. That sharpness matters: it’s what lets them pierce paper without a separate hole punch when you’re dealing with a small stack.

The tines fold cleanly, with enough spring to open and re-close a few times without snapping. Compared to older, heavy-gauge brads I’ve used, these are a touch thinner—still adequate for everyday bundles, but I can feel a bit more flex if I’m reopening and reclosing them repeatedly.

Performance and capacity

For everyday paper work, the sharp tips do what they’re supposed to. I could reliably pierce about 8–10 sheets of 20 lb paper by hand without pre-punching. Past that, I preferred to make a pilot hole with an awl or a single hole punch; it reduces drag on the shank and keeps the stack neat.

At 1.5 inches long, these are well-suited to medium to large bundles. After allowing for the head and the space you need to bend the tines, the practical capacity is roughly three-quarters of an inch of material. In paper terms, that’s around 150–180 sheets of standard weight, depending on covers or dividers. They also work with 2-hole top-punched filing, and the head is broad enough to sit cleanly over standard punched holes without pulling through. If you’re swapping these in for a binder in a pinch, they’re not a perfect one-to-one, but they’ll hold a sizeable stack securely.

I also tried them as pivot points in simple cardboard mockups—a rotating dial on a presentation board and a quick spinner for a kids’ activity. They held the rotation well without chewing up the surrounding material. For thicker cardboard, I made a pilot hole first; the tips are sharp, but a pilot hole keeps the board from deforming and ensures a round, snug fit.

Handling and ergonomics

Because the shanks are stiff and the tips are sharp, inserting them is straightforward. Bending the tines is easiest if you press a flat ruler or bone folder across them to get a crisp fold; fingers alone will do in a pinch, but a tool gives you a cleaner result and puts less strain on the metal.

A small technique note: leaving a gentle arch in the tines rather than flattening them completely reduces pressure on the holes and keeps the stack from compressing too hard. This helps prevent paper from tearing if you plan to reopen the fastener later.

Durability and finish

The gold finish looks tidy on a desk and reads as “office” rather than “craft.” In regular use, I didn’t experience flaking or rough edges. Over a few months, I haven’t seen noticeable tarnish; the finish stayed consistent even on the fasteners I handled frequently. If you’re in a humid environment, I’d still store them dry, but I don’t see these discoloring quickly.

In terms of metal fatigue, they handle a few open/close cycles well. If you try to fold the same spot sharply many times, any brass-plated fastener will eventually weaken. For packets you need to access often, consider forming a gentle S-bend rather than a hard crease or switching to a screw post or a 2-prong file fastener system. For everything else—packets that live mostly closed—they’re more than sturdy enough.

Real-world uses I tried

• Thick document packets: Proposals and reference packs hold tightly, and the rounded head keeps the stack tidy in a drawer.
• 2-hole top filing: Works as a clean, low-profile alternative to binders for in-progress drafts.
• Cardboard pivots: As a hinge or spinner, they rotate smoothly if you avoid overtightening the tines.
• Temporary tags and swatches: Easy to bundle samples or receipts and re-sort them later.

Across these cases, the consistent takeaway is control: they give you a secure hold without adding bulk, and you can open them with a fingernail or a small flat tool when you need access.

Tips for best results

• Pre-punch thicker stacks: For more than about 10 sheets, a pilot hole keeps the stack neat and reduces tearing.
• Use a flat tool to fold: A ruler or bone folder gives the cleanest bends and extends the life of the tines.
• Don’t overflatten: Leave a slight arch to ease reopening and reduce stress on the holes.
• Reinforce fragile paper: If the hole edges are at risk of tearing, add small reinforcement labels or a thin washer under the head.
• Mind the length: For very thin stacks, consider shorter brads to avoid long tine ends. If 1.5 inches is all you have, just fold the excess carefully to prevent snags.

What they don’t do

They’re not a perfect substitute for a binder if you need to rearrange pages daily. Repeatedly bending the tines back and forth will fatigue the metal, and managing out-of-order inserts is slower than with rings or posts. The head is also modest in diameter; it’s fine for standard punched holes, but it won’t stop a torn hole from widening all by itself. If you’re bundling very thick stacks—near or above an inch—step up to longer brads or consider screw posts for heavy-duty documents.

Finally, while the tips are sharp enough for paper and thin cardstock, dense materials like chipboard or multiple layers of cardboard benefit from a pilot hole. Pushing too hard risks bending the shank slightly and widening the hole.

Value and alternatives

As a low-cost, low-bulk binding method, these are tough to beat. The 1.5-inch length hits a sweet spot: long enough for substantial stacks, short enough to stay manageable for everyday packets. If your work involves frequent edits or reordering, a 2-prong fastener base or a post system will serve you better. For crafts that need decorative heads or specialized finishes, look to scrapbooking brads. But for practical office use—holding papers, samples, or temporary assemblies—these fasteners offer a clean, professional-looking solution that doesn’t overcomplicate the job.

The bottom line

I keep reaching for these because they do exactly what they promise: the shanks are stiff, the points are sharp, and the 1.5-inch length is versatile. They pierce small stacks cleanly, handle larger stacks with a quick pilot hole, and the tines fold down smoothly for a tidy, low-profile hold. They aren’t the heaviest-gauge brads I’ve ever used, and they’re not built for constant reconfiguration, but they’re consistent, well-finished, and dependable for everyday use.

Recommendation: I recommend these fasteners for anyone who needs a simple, durable way to bind documents or create quick pivots in lightweight projects. They strike a practical balance of sharpness, stiffness, and length, with a clean finish that looks at home in an office setting. If your workflow demands frequent page shuffling, you’ll be happier with a post or prong system. For most other tasks, these are an easy, affordable win.