--- title: "MAX Vaimo11 Flarme: The Easy 40-Sheet Flat Stapler" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/max-vaimo-11-flarme-stapler/" description: "MAX Vaimo11 Flarme stapler explained: light-force flat clinch for up to 40 sheets, No. 11-1M staples, 110 × 68 × 26 mm, colors and vs the older Vaimo11 Flat." category: "Accessories" type: "Stapler" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 6 products: - name: "MAX Vaimo11 Flarme stapler, 40 sheets (HD-11FNL; black HD-11FNL/K)" brand: "MAX" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Plastic body cover with a matte, fingerprint-resistant finish (GetNavi, from MAX's launch release); metal stapling mechanism" released: "2024-09-26" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "MAX Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)" model: "Vaimo11 Flarme" mpn: "HD-11FNL/K" sku: "HD91368" --- # MAX Vaimo11 Flarme: The Easy 40-Sheet Flat Stapler > The MAX Vaimo11 Flarme (HD-11FNL) is a Japanese desk stapler that binds up to 40 sheets with light hand pressure and folds the staple legs flat on the back. Launched on September 26, 2024, it replaced the Vaimo11 Flat, with MAX claiming 25% less impact, 30% less noise and 10% less weight. It measures 110 × 68 × 26 mm. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/max-vaimo-11-flarme-stapler/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![Black MAX Vaimo11 Flarme stapler drawn to scale at 110 mm long beside a stapled stack of paper](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/max-vaimo-11-flarme-stapler-16x9.png) *The Vaimo11 Flarme at 110 × 68 mm, drawn to scale.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | MAX Vaimo11 Flarme stapler, 40 sheets (HD-11FNL; black HD-11FNL/K) | MAX (by MAX Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Not stated | Plastic body cover with a matte, fingerprint-resistant finish (GetNavi, from MAX's launch release); metal stapling mechanism | 2024-09-26 | $$$: $20–75 per item | - Made in (MAX Vaimo11 Flarme stapler, 40 sheets (HD-11FNL; black HD-11FNL/K)): Not stated. MAX's own site was not reachable when we checked, and the Amazon US and MISUMI listings and the GetNavi launch report don't state a country of manufacture, so check the box. ## Key takeaways - MAX says the Flarme binds up to 40 sheets of 64 g/m² copy paper with its own No. 11-1M staples, 100 to a load. - Against the earlier HD-11FL, MAX claims about 25% less stapling impact, 30% less noise, 10% less force, and a body about 10% lighter and narrower. - Retailers list the Flarme at 110 × 68 × 26 mm (4.3 × 2.7 × 1 in) and 149 g, against 107 × 68 × 30 mm and 165 g for the older HD-11FLK. - MAX launched it in Japan on September 26, 2024 in five colours at ¥2,200 (about US$14) including tax. - The older Vaimo11 Flat (HD-11FLK) had 966 Amazon US ratings on October 22, 2026; the Flarme is its successor. ## What is the MAX Vaimo11 Flarme? **The Vaimo11 Flarme is MAX's current Vaimo11: a compact desk stapler that staples up to 40 sheets with light pressure and folds the staple legs flat.** MAX launched it in Japan on September 26, 2024, as the series' first full model change. The older Vaimo11 Flat dates to 2008, according to MAX's materials as shown in search results. Amazon sellers often spell the name "Bimo 11", from its Japanese reading. ## How does the Vaimo11 staple 40 sheets so easily? **It uses thin No. 11-1M staples and a mechanism that MAX designed for light force; the Flarme adds a "pre-bend" flat clinch that folds each leg in two stages.** GetNavi's report of the launch says the legs start bending just after they pierce the paper and finish as the staple is pushed home. Splitting the bend in two softens the impact and the sound, MAX says, especially on thin stacks, where older staplers jolt the most. The lower clinch area also let MAX add force reduction without raising the stapler's height. ## MAX Vaimo11 Flarme specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | MAX Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) | | Model | HD-11FNL (black HD-11FNL/K, item HD91368) | | Capacity | 2 to 40 sheets of 64 g/m² copy paper | | Staples | MAX No. 11-1M, 100 per load | | Size | 110 × 68 × 26 mm (4.3 × 2.7 × 1 in), per retailers | | Weight | 149 g (5.3 oz) | | Clinch | Flat, two-stage pre-bend | | Colours | Blue, red, lavender, black, white | | Japan list price | ¥2,200 (about US$14), tax included | | Launched | September 26, 2024 | | Price band | $$$ ($20–75) as a US import | ## How does the Flarme differ from the older Vaimo11 Flat? **It's slightly longer, narrower and lighter, and MAX says it staples more gently and quietly.** ![Side outlines to scale of the Vaimo11 Flat (107 × 68 mm, 165 g) and Vaimo11 Flarme (110 × 68 mm, 149 g)](https://stationerytimes.com/images/max-vaimo-11-flarme-stapler-size.svg) *The Flat and the Flarme side by side at 1 mm = 2 px.* | | Vaimo11 Flat (HD-11FLK) | Vaimo11 Flarme (HD-11FNL) | |---|---|---| | Size | 107 × 68 × 30 mm | 110 × 68 × 26 mm | | Weight | 165 g | 149 g | | Capacity | 40 sheets | 40 sheets | | Impact, noise, force | Baseline | About 25%, 30% and 10% lower (MAX) | | Status | Replaced by the Flarme | Current | Search listings of MAX's own HD-11FLK page say it ended sales in December 2024, naming the HD-11FNL as its successor. Many US sellers still stock the older model. ## How does it compare with US desk staplers? **It staples more paper than a classic US desk stapler in a much smaller body, but needs its own staples.** | Stapler | Capacity | Staples | Clinch | Price band | |---|---|---|---|---| | MAX Vaimo11 Flarme | 40 sheets | MAX No. 11-1M | Flat | $$$ | | [Swingline 747](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/swingline-747/) | 30 sheets of 20 lb | Standard 1/4 in | Standard or pin | $$$ | | [KOKUYO Harinacs Compact Alpha](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kokuyo-harinacs-compact-alpha/) | About 5 sheets | None (staple-free) | Paper flap | $$ | Buy a box or two of No. 11-1M staples with it, since US office shops rarely stock them. For other desk tools, see our [best desk accessories](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-desk-accessories/). ## What are the downsides? **You need MAX's own No. 11-1M staples, and in the US the Vaimo11 costs more than at home because most copies are imports.** In Japan it lists at ¥2,200 (about US$14), while US sellers ask well into our $$$ band. It's also a light-duty desk stapler. The listings we read mention no pinning mode for tacking paper to a board, which the Swingline 747 has, and 40 sheets is its ceiling; for thicker reports you need a heavy-duty stapler. Some sellers still ship the older Flat, so check the model number, HD-11FNL, before you buy. ## Where is the MAX Vaimo11 made? **The listings we read don't say.** MAX's own site was unreachable when we checked on October 22, 2026, and the Amazon US, MISUMI and GetNavi pages give no country of manufacture. MAX Co., Ltd. is based in Tokyo. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many sheets can the MAX Vaimo11 staple? Up to 40 sheets of 64 g/m² copy paper, according to MAX, and as few as 2. Thicker paper lowers the count. ### What staples does the Vaimo11 Flarme use? MAX No. 11-1M staples, loaded 100 at a time, per MAX and its retailers. Use that size rather than standard US staples. ### What does flat clinch mean on a stapler? The staple legs are folded flat against the back of the paper instead of curling into bumps. Flat-clinched stacks lie flatter and stack more neatly. ### What is the difference between Vaimo11 Flat and Vaimo11 Flarme? The Flarme (HD-11FNL) replaced the Flat (HD-11FL family) in 2024. MAX says it hits about 25% softer, is about 30% quieter, needs about 10% less force and is lighter and narrower. ### Is the MAX Vaimo11 sold in the US? Mostly as an import. Amazon US sellers list both the Flarme and the older Vaimo11 Flat, and the Flat's listing had 966 ratings on October 22, 2026. ### Is the MAX Vaimo11 made in Japan? The listings we read don't say. MAX is a Japanese company based in Tokyo, but we couldn't find a stated country of manufacture for the Flarme. ## Sources - [GetNavi: とじ衝撃・動作音を大幅に軽減! マックスのホッチキス「Vaimo11 Flarme」新発売 (launch September 26, 2024, five colours, ¥2,200, pre-bend flat clinch, -25% impact, -30% noise, -10% force, weight and width vs HD-11FL; read in full)](https://getnavi.jp/stationery/980168) - [MAX: 「Vaimo11 Flarme」新発売 (press release, August 7, 2024; the maker's site was unreachable when we checked)](https://www.max-ltd.co.jp/about/company/press/20240807.html) - [MAX: HD-11FLK product page (HD-11FLK: H68 × W30 × L107 mm, 165 g, 40 sheets, No. 11-1M, 28 mm depth; seen in search results)](https://www.max-ltd.co.jp/product/op/stapler/vaimo/HD91017.html) - [MISUMI: MAX Vaimo11 Flarme HD-11FNL (110 × 68 × 26 mm, 149 g, 40 sheets, No. 11-1M)](https://jp.misumi-ec.com/vona2/detail/223304917382/) - [Amazon US: MAX HD91368 Vaimo11 Flarme HD-11FNL/K, black (26 × 110 × 68 mm, 149 g, 40 sheets, load 100)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKT65PJ6) - [Amazon US: MAX HD-11FLK/B Vaimo11 Flat, blue (68 × 30 × 107 mm, 165 g, 28 mm binding depth; ratings read October 22, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UAGFZS)