A brass fastener, butterfly clips, brad, paper fastener or split pin is a

stationery Stationery refers to commercially manufactured writing materials, including cut paper, envelopes, writing implements, continuous form paper, and other office supplies. Stationery includes materials to be written on by hand (e.g., letter paper ...

item used for securing multiple sheets of

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distribut ...

together. A patent of the fastener was issued in 1866 to George W McGill. The fastener is inserted into punched holes in the stack of paper, and the leaves, or tines, of the legs are separated and bent over to secure the paper. This holds the pin in place and the sheets of paper together. For few sheets of paper, holes can be made using the sharp end of the fastener. A split pin may be used in place of staples, but they are more commonly used in situations where rotation around the joint is desirable. This lends split pins to use in mobile paper and

cardboard Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light br ...

models, and they are often used as modern scrapbooking embellishments. In the film industry, brass fasteners are an industry standard in binding

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

s. It is shaped somewhat like a nail with a round head and flat, split length. Brass fasteners are made of a soft

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typica ...

such as

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

and the tines are typically of two slightly different lengths to allow easy separation. A brass fastener is similar in design and function to the mechanical counterpart split pins.

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Paper FastenersBrass Fasteners
Fasteners Stationery Office equipment Metallic objects {{tool-stub