Museum Artifact: Ace Pilot Stapler 404, c. 1950s
Made by: Ace Fastener Corp., 3415 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL
Trying to pinpoint the age of an Ace Pilot stapler—much like trying to figure out the complicated history of the Ace Fastener Company itself—is a bit of an exercise in futility. This stylishly utilitarian 404 model of the Pilot was based on a patent that Ace acquired way back in 1938,