# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison Staples & Clips

Brass Fasteners vs. Prong Paper Fasteners

Comparing 2 standards across 12 specifications. 12 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Brass Fasteners
Prong Paper Fasteners

Brass Fasteners (also known as Paper Brads or Split Pins) are malleable metal binding pins featuring a round domed head and two flexible flat prongs. Sized from 0.5 inches (13 mm) to 2.0 inches (51 mm), they are passed through punched holes and spread flat against the back of the document, serving as the industry standard for Hollywood film screenplay binding.

View full Brass Fasteners spec sheet →

Two-Prong Metal Paper Fasteners (standardized with a 2.75-inch / 69.85 mm center-to-center prong spacing) are heavy-gauge tin-plated steel compressors used with self-adhesive prong bases inside classification folders, legal case files, and medical patient charts to secure up to 500 hole-punched sheets.

View full Prong Paper Fasteners spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

12 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Shank Length 1/2 in (No. 1)
13 mm — capacity approx. 30 to 40 sheets
Shank Length 3/4 in (No. 2)
19 mm — capacity approx. 50 to 75 sheets
Shank Length 1.0 in (No. 3)
25 mm — capacity approx. 80 to 110 sheets
Shank Length 1.5 in (No. 5)
38 mm — capacity approx. 120 to 175 sheets (Standard 1.25" Hollywood Script Brad)
Shank Length 2.0 in (No. 7)
51 mm — capacity approx. 200+ sheets
Head Diameter
8.0 mm (approx. 5/16 in domed brass cap)
Hollywood Script Tradition
Bound with two No. 5 brass brads placed in top and bottom holes (middle hole left empty)
Center-to-Center Prong Spacing
2.75 in (69.85 mm standard)
Standard Prong Capacities
1.0 in (approx. 200 sheets) or 2.0 in (approx. 400 to 500 sheets)
Compressor Bar Function
Slotted steel slide bar locks over prongs and folds prongs flat under tension
Mounting Styles
Factory heat-bonded to pressboard folder or peel-and-stick self-adhesive base
Primary Applications
Legal court exhibits, hospital medical records, mortgage closing packets, human resources personnel files