If you use staplers long enough, you'll probably end up jamming one. The more often you have to try and fix a jammed stapler, the more likely you are to experience the dreaded pricked fingertip.

Never use a stapler that is jammed or that you think might be jammed. According to Bostitch, you can clear a jam on some models by opening the magazine and manually removing the staples.

Not everybody saw the humor in the column about the stapler. I talked about how difficult it can be to fix a jammed-up stapler. How a stapler can appear to be haunted, and when it is, you’re ...