Best Desk Accessories (2027): Stands, Rulers & Staplers

Ten desk accessories in a to-scale lineup, from a MUJI pen stand to a CARL Angel-5 Grand sharpener — The ten picks at 1 mm = 0.7 px, with each one's price band.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
MUJI Acrylic Pen Stand (standard, W5.5 × D4.5 × H9 cm; also small and large)MUJI	Japan	China^*	Price range: $under $5 per item
KOKUYO Tool Pen Stand Hakobiz (KAHA-HB11)KOKUYO	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per item
TRAVELER'S COMPANY BRASS Ruler (15 cm scale, 42167-006)Traveler's Company	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per item
Midori Clip Ruler (brass, Cat and Decoration designs; also copper and stainless steel)Midori	Japan	China^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per item
Fiskars Original Orange-handled Scissors, 8 in (1945101045)Fiskars	Finland	China^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per item
Swingline 747 Classic Stapler, Black (74701)Swingline	United States	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per item
KOKUYO Harinacs Compact Alpha Stapleless Stapler (SLN-MSH305)KOKUYO	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per item
Scotch Magic Tape 810, 3/4 in × 1000 inScotch	United States	United States^*	Price range: $under $5 per item
mt masking tape (washi tape), mt basic 1P, 15 mm single rollmt	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $under $5 per item
CARL Angel-5 Grand Conic hand-crank pencil sharpener (A5GRC)CARL	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per item

Notes on these facts

MUJI Acrylic Pen Stand (standard, W5.5 × D4.5 × H9 cm; also small and large): Made by Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.. Made in China: MUJI Japan's online store gives 原産国・地域 (country of origin) 中国 (China) for the small and large stands; MUJI USA gives China for the standard and small, and MUJI Canada for the large. Source.
KOKUYO Tool Pen Stand Hakobiz (KAHA-HB11): Made by KOKUYO Co., Ltd.. Country of manufacture not stated: KOKUYO's Hakobiz pages, its 2018 launch release and the Amazon US listing we read don't state a country of production, so we don't either; check the label. Released: KOKUYO's December 10, 2018 news release gives February 13, 2019 as the launch date for Hakobiz and the rest of its もちはこ (mochihako) carry series.
TRAVELER'S COMPANY BRASS Ruler (15 cm scale, 42167-006): Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo). Made in Japan: TRAVELER'S COMPANY's Japanese product page (BRASS RULER / ブラス定規) states MADE IN JAPAN next to No.42167006 and calls the ruler a product of Made-in-Japan craftsmanship. Manufactum also says made in Japan. Source.
Midori Clip Ruler (brass, Cat and Decoration designs; also copper and stainless steel): Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo). Made in China: Midori's Japanese online store gives 原産国 (country of origin) MADE IN CHINA on all four current versions: Cat A (42291006), Decorative pattern A (42292006), Copper A (42290006) and Silver A (42289006). Some English-language shops say "Made in Japan"; the maker's listing wins. Source. Released: Midori's customer notice dates the first Silver (42229006) and Copper (42230006) Clip Rulers to July 14, 2020. The current "A" versions carry newer item numbers; we found no date for them.
Fiskars Original Orange-handled Scissors, 8 in (1945101045): Made by Fiskars Group (Finland); sold in the US by Fiskars Brands, Inc.. Made in China: per US business-supply listings for items 1945101045 and 1069755 (OnTimeSupplies, Aztek), which we could no longer open on October 20, 2026; Aztek's has since been removed. Fiskars doesn't state the origin of this US item. Fiskars Group's brand page quotes a worker at its Billnäs factory in Finland who inspects scissors, and its history says Fiskars opened a scissors factory in the US, so origin may differ by market: check the package. Source.
Swingline 747 Classic Stapler, Black (74701): Made by ACCO Brands Corporation. Country of manufacture not stated: Swingline's product page (SKU S7074701) and About page don't state it. A Canadian dealer (Monk Office) lists China as the country of origin for the black 74701, as On Time Supplies did when we first checked. ACCO moved Swingline production from Long Island City, New York, to Nogales, Mexico, in 1999, so older 747s may differ. Check the box of the one you buy. Released: Swingline's company history (via Wikipedia) dates the 747 to 1968. Swingline's own About page mentions only the 2002 launch of the 747, which was the red version made after Office Space.
KOKUYO Harinacs Compact Alpha Stapleless Stapler (SLN-MSH305): Made by KOKUYO Co., Ltd.. Country of manufacture not stated: KOKUYO's Japanese and English product pages don't state the country. One reseller (Japan With Love) lists the black Transparent Mechanism edition, whose JAN 4901480441450 matches KOKUYO's SLN-MSH305TM-D, as made in China; we found no origin for the standard colors, so check the package. Source. Released: KOKUYO's September 7, 2015 press release set the Compact Alpha's launch for September 25, 2015. The Harinacs line began in December 2009 and the earlier Harinacs Compact in February 2012.
Scotch Magic Tape 810, 3/4 in × 1000 in: Made by 3M Company (Maplewood, Minnesota). Made in United States: 3M's October 2024 release (distributed by 3BL; the copy on news.3m.com no longer loads) says Scotch Magic Tape is made at its Hutchinson, Minnesota, facility and sent to customers around the world. It doesn't say every roll and size comes from there, and 3M's product pages give no country, so check the box if it matters. Source.
mt masking tape (washi tape), mt basic 1P, 15 mm single roll: Made by Kamoi Kakoshi Co., Ltd. (Kurashiki, Okayama). Made in Japan: Kamoi Kakoshi's company page describes its head-office factory in Kurashiki and a second factory in Yakage, Okayama, shipping mt from Japan to the world. Maruzen Junkudo's listings for mt basic 1P rolls give 原産国 (country of origin) Japan, and Jenni Bick, Hunter Paper Co. and Tacto Studio say made in Japan. Source. Released: Kamoi Kakoshi's company history dates mt's launch to February–March 2008.
CARL Angel-5 Grand Conic hand-crank pencil sharpener (A5GRC): Made by CARL Office Machines Co., Ltd. (カール事務器株式会社), Japan. Made in Japan: Yodobashi's A5GRC listing gives 生産国：日本 (country of production: Japan) and CARL's copy there calls it a Made in JAPAN sharpener. CARL Japan's A5GRC page names a Japanese-made blade, and its Grand Sharp (A5GRS) page lists the sharpener as made in Japan. Source.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Three picks sit in our lowest band (under $5): the MUJI acrylic pen stand, Scotch Magic Tape and an mt washi tape roll; four more are $$ ($5–20).
The Swingline 747, made since 1968, staples 30 sheets of 20 lb paper; the KOKUYO Harinacs Compact Alpha joins about 5 sheets with no staple at all.
The TRAVELER'S COMPANY Brass Ruler is 160 × 20 mm with a 15 cm scale and one raised edge so ink doesn't run under it.
Fiskars launched its orange-handled scissors in 1967 and says it has sold more than 1 billion pairs; the standard pair is 8 in (203 mm) long.
The CARL Angel-5 Grand weighs 540 g and has a stepless point adjuster from about 0.5 to 0.9 mm, per CARL Japan.

What are the best desk accessories?

On published specs, the best desk accessories are well-made classics: a MUJI acrylic pen stand, a KOKUYO Hakobiz, a TRAVELER’S COMPANY brass ruler, Fiskars scissors, a Swingline 747 and a CARL Angel-5 Grand. There’s no single #1, because each is the best-made version of a different tool we found; we chose nicer versions of everyday tools rather than bulk office supplies.

Best pen stand: MUJI Acrylic Pen Stand. Why it’s here: a clear 55 × 45 × 90 mm box that disappears on a desk, smaller and in a lower band ($) than the Hakobiz.
Best desk organizer: KOKUYO Hakobiz. Why it’s here: unlike an open stand, it’s a 215 × 185 mm zip case that stands open on the desk with pens and a phone in view, then zips shut to carry.
Best ruler: TRAVELER’S COMPANY Brass Ruler. Why it’s here: solid brass with a raised edge for ruling in ink, and a 160 mm length that suits A5 and TRAVELER’S Regular pages.
Best notebook ruler: Midori Clip Ruler. Why it’s here: a 0.3 mm metal bookmark with a 10 cm scale and a stencil, thin enough to live inside the notebook you carry.
Best scissors: Fiskars Original Orange-handled. Why it’s here: the 8 in (203 mm) orange-handled design classic, made since 1967, in our $$ band.
Best stapler: Swingline 747 Classic. Why it’s here: all metal, 30 sheets of 20 lb paper and 210 staples per load, for thicker stacks than the Harinacs’s 5 sheets.
Best staple-free stapler: KOKUYO Harinacs Compact Alpha. Why it’s here: palm size and staple-free, so a few pages can be shredded or recycled without removing metal.
Best clear tape: Scotch Magic Tape 810. Why it’s here: matte tape you can write on that makes invisible repairs, made in Minnesota, per 3M.
Best washi tape: mt washi tape. Why it’s here: 15 mm Japanese paper tape that tears by hand, per Kamoi Kakoshi, for labels you’ll peel off, where Magic Tape is for repairs.
Best pencil sharpener: CARL Angel-5 Grand. Why it’s here: a 540 g steel hand-crank whose point you set steplessly from about 0.5 to 0.9 mm, per CARL Japan, for anyone who sharpens wood pencils daily.

How did we choose these picks?

We compiled these picks from published sources, not hands-on testing: makers’ specs and claims, retailer spec sheets, US availability and price band. For each tool we looked for a well-made version with published sizes and a clear edge over the basic office one; seven of the ten are under $20.

How do the desk accessories compare?

Three picks cost under $5, four sit in our $$ band ($5–20) and three are $$$ ($20–75).

Pick	Product	Size	Band	Made in
Pen stand	MUJI Acrylic Pen Stand	55 × 45 × 90 mm (2.2 × 1.8 × 3.5 in)	$	China
Organizer	KOKUYO Hakobiz	215 × 45 × 185 mm (8.5 × 1.8 × 7.3 in)	$$$	Not stated
Ruler	TRAVELER’S COMPANY Brass Ruler	160 × 20 mm (6.3 × 0.8 in), 15 cm scale	$$	Japan
Notebook ruler	Midori Clip Ruler	140.5 × 34 mm (5.5 × 1.3 in), 10 cm scale	$$	China
Scissors	Fiskars Original	203 mm (8 in), 3.5 in cut	$$	China
Stapler	Swingline 747 Classic	184 × 61 × 44 mm (7.25 × 2.4 × 1.75 in)	$$$	Not stated
Staple-free	KOKUYO Harinacs Compact Alpha	27 × 87 × 53 mm (1.1 × 3.4 × 2.1 in)	$$	Not stated
Clear tape	Scotch Magic Tape 810	3/4 in × 1000 in (19 mm × 25.4 m)	$	United States
Washi tape	mt basic	15 mm × 7 m (0.6 in × 23 ft)	$	Japan
Sharpener	CARL Angel-5 Grand	124 × 73 × 132 mm (4.9 × 2.9 × 5.2 in)	$$$	Japan

Sizes are from the makers, except the Swingline 747 and Fiskars (retailer spec sheets); see each guide.

Which ruler should you keep on your desk?

Keep the brass ruler for ruling lines in ink and the Midori Clip Ruler inside the notebook you carry. The brass ruler’s 160 mm length suits A5 and TRAVELER’S Regular pages; for a longer scale, add a 12 in (30 cm) ruler.

TRAVELER’S COMPANY lists the brass ruler at ¥1,980 (about US$13), and Midori lists the Clip Ruler at ¥1,100 (about US$7), both with tax.

Do you need a stapler and a staple-free stapler?

Most desks need only one: the Swingline 747 for thick stacks, or the Harinacs for a few pages you may want to shred or recycle without removing metal. KOKUYO lists the Harinacs at ¥920 (about US$5.80) before tax.

The 747’s anvil turns for pinning and its base swings open for tacking, per Swingline.

Which tape belongs on a nice desk?

Both: Scotch Magic Tape for repairs and invisible joins, mt washi tape for labels and notes you’ll remove. 3M lists Magic Tape’s matte acetate backing as writable, and Kamoi Kakoshi says mt tears by hand and peels off without residue.

Is a hand-crank pencil sharpener worth it?

If you sharpen wood pencils every day, yes: the CARL Angel-5 Grand lets you set the lead tip from about 0.5 to 0.9 mm, per CARL Japan. It lists at ¥4,400 (about US$28) in Japan and comes as the Conic, for a straight cone, or the Sharp, for a slightly bowed point.

Where are these desk accessories made?

Three are made in Japan, three in China, and Scotch Magic Tape in Minnesota, per makers and retailers; KOKUYO and Swingline don’t state an origin for the other three. The Fiskars scissors are Finnish by brand but listed as made in China.

Frequently asked questions

What are the essential desk accessories?

A pen stand, a ruler, scissors, a stapler, tape and, if you use wood pencils, a sharpener. Our ten picks cover each of these, and seven cost under $20 at US retail.

Is a brass ruler better than a plastic one?

It is heavier and darkens with age, which many people like. The TRAVELER'S COMPANY ruler also has a raised edge that keeps ink from running underneath, per the maker.

How does a staple-free stapler work?

The KOKUYO Harinacs Compact Alpha cuts a small 5 × 6.5 mm flap through the stack and tucks it into a slit, so no metal is left in the paper. KOKUYO rates it for about 5 sheets of copy paper.

Why are Fiskars scissors orange?

Fiskars introduced its orange plastic handles in 1967 and says it has registered the color for scissors in Finland, the US and Canada. It says more than 1 billion pairs have been sold.

What is the difference between Scotch Magic Tape and washi tape?

Scotch Magic Tape is a matte acetate office tape that turns nearly invisible and takes pen writing. mt washi tape is Japanese paper tape that tears by hand and peels off cleanly, used for decorating and labeling.

Is the CARL Angel-5 Grand worth it?

For people who sharpen pencils daily, it is the top of CARL's range: a Japanese-made steel sharpener with a stepless point adjuster. It lists at ¥4,400 (about US$28) in Japan, in our $$$ band.

How big is the MUJI acrylic pen stand?

MUJI USA lists the standard stand at W5.5 × D4.5 × H9 cm (2.2 × 1.8 × 3.5 in) and 80 g. MUJI Japan also sells a small and a large size.

What desk accessories do you need for a home office?

A pen stand (MUJI acrylic), a ruler (TRAVELER'S COMPANY brass), scissors (Fiskars Original), a stapler (Swingline 747), tape you can write on (Scotch Magic 810) and a sharpener (CARL Angel-5 Grand) cover most desks; add a KOKUYO Hakobiz case if you move between rooms. These are nicer versions of everyday tools, chosen on published specs.

Sources (11)

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