A weird office tool.

[Chako]

I found this interesting office multi-tool off of eBay.

I must say, I was not sure what I bought online, but after seeing it in person, I am awed at the ingenuity that went into designing this tool.

There is a date and a marking. It says "1988 Plus Japan". Other then that, it also has Leica, therefore making this an advertising piece...but what a unique piece it is.

The closest that comes to mind is the Wenger Business Tool. I looked hard but couldn't find out when it came out. I have to wonder if it was somehow based on this tool , or as far as my limited knowledge, on other tools of its ilk.



The Plus Japan office tool is smaller than the Wenger. Compared to the Wenger which focuses on the stapler, this tool's main feature are a pair of ingenious scissors. Slide the scissors out and the tool breaks in half with a fixed blade and the other that moves when you press together the two halves. It works great.



The stapler on the Plus Japan is very small. It pivots outwards and locks into place.



Included is a nice pen with a removable insert for refill cartridges. I was expecting a one shot deal, so this was a little surprising for me.



The back half is rounded enough to be perfect for opening letters in a pinch.



On the bottom, there is a mini box/letter opener, and a stapler remover tool.



Turning the tool around, a part of it slides out and gives you a double sided screwdriver.





And if that wasn't enough, they even included a small storage area for what I can only guess is for paper clips.



This is a neat multi-tool that I enjoyed exploring. It seemed like every nook and cranny had a function. Quite the fun and useful little office tool this.

[ducttapetech]

I have to admit, that is pretty cool.

[sawman]

Yet due to the "box/letter opener" I bet it's not allowed on many jobs. 

[PyroJames]

I have one of these!!!  Mine is black and doesn't have a pen but it's also an Office Plus.  Mine is also larger and has a tape dispenser and magnifying glass.  I remember buying mine in the mid 80's.  I will post some pictures of it later today.

[captain spaulding]

That's a pretty cool find. Leica is a very reputable company known for making very high end cameras and optics so I had no idea they made MT's. Very cool.

[Chako]

I would love to see it PyroJames.

captain spaulding, no, Leica did not make this. "Plus" was the manufacturer. Leica was the customer for an advertisement piece.

[captain spaulding]

I would love to see it PyroJames.

captain spaulding, no, Leica did not make this. "Plus" was the manufacturer. Leica was the customer for an advertisement piece.

Ahhh ok that makes more sense. I feel like an idiot now. lol.  I think my pain meds are making me loopy.

[Freudian Frog]

That's so neat! I'd love to see one of those on a coworker's desk, though it'd probably accidentally find it's way into my bag and into my home...

[PyroJames]

OK, I just took some pictures of mine:

Mine is called the "Factory Plus" and like yours, it has a stapler, carton opener, slide-out scissors and staple remover.




It also has a pull-out magnifying lens:



Top view.  The button at the bottom left corner is for the retractable tape measure:



When you press the "Tape" button, the tape dispenser swings out from the bottom.  In the middle of the tape spool is a case designed to hold paper clips, extra staples, push pins or spare change for the office vending machine:

(btw, that's the original tape spool. I never used the tape because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find a replacement spool that would fit this tool.)

Bottom view. The hole on the left is the hole punch.  The stapler is spring-loaded so it also serves as the button for the hole punch:


Size comparison:

[Chako]

That is neat. A little larger then my example...but then it does more.

[MultiMat]

They are cool tools  .

The Japanese sure know how to do gadgets  & their quality is normally very good too 

[WH867]

Sorry Guys, But a good office tool has to have a compass and Red LED light  .

[Chako]

 

Looks like there are different models out there. Nice.

[PyroJames]

They are cool tools  .

Thanks Mat. 

That is neat. A little larger then my example...but then it does more.

I think yours is better designed.    It's more compact and has a pen and screwdriver.

Sorry Guys, But a good office tool has to have a compass and Red LED light  .

Whoa!  OK, you win.    That one is a beauty.  What year is yours from? 

[WH867]

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They are cool tools  .

Thanks Mat. 

That is neat. A little larger then my example...but then it does more.

I think yours is better designed.    It's more compact and has a pen and screwdriver.

Sorry Guys, But a good office tool has to have a compass and Red LED light  .

Whoa!  OK, you win.    That one is a beauty.  What year is yours from?

I have'nt found a year on it . Might be somewhere in the instructions which are in 6 different languages 

[Woz]

Well, they are pretty awesome. I'd love to get one of these, maybe we can find out if the manufacturer still makes them. I use a ToolLogic Office Assistant, which is great too, but I just love the idea behind these Japanese scissors.

[New_World]

but does it do office work for you? =)

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Wow!  I'm blown away...  I'm a professor as well as a gadget freak, so one of these kinds of tools would be right up my alley!  (Despite I already have all of that stuff in my office, and a small kit with small versions of all that stuff in my laptop bag as well...)

Agh!!!  Another toy, er, I mean tool, yeah, that's it, that I want to spend money on!!!

[edcgear]

Hey guys, just caught my self thinking how can I use that on demolition site... 

If I find out that, I'm getting one... So please help!!

Great tool's guys!! 

[Strumento]

Modern variation of the tool:


http://www.wesleys.co.za/detail99-CutSMTool.html


Go for this if you have the $$:

http://www.biztool.ch/e/presentation.htm

[lonediver]

Multi office tools have been around a long time . Maybe not dating back to the time of the "Roman" multi tool but I have at least one dating back to 1900 - 1910 .

Plus Corp. (Japan) had at least 4 variations of thier tool , two others, one Taiwanese and a different Japanese one have similar profiles and basic components. Stapler, scissors, tape measure, box cutter are common and implements vary from there .

Other implements in some of the office multis that I have include;

Lasers
LED lights
Knives
Directional compass
Compass dividers
Clocks (time and date)
Calculators
Rulers (straight and folding)
T-squares
Tweezers
Paper hole punchers
Magnifying lenses
Erasers and brushes
Glue bottles
Scotch tape dispensers
Magnets
Thumb tacks
Pens (one older one that I have has a dip style type pen that would need a ink well)
Mechanical pencils
Pencil sharpeners
Small screwdrivers
And .............that's all that occurs to me at the moment .

Not all these devices would/could be regarded as practical , some I have are more amusing. Desk top toys with minimal practicality.
But Chako your tool is more of a normal saner one , not weird.

[Chako]

Compared to the others, you are correct. 

[Chako]

Sazabi found me another office tool. This one does not have any identifying markings.



The tool does feature another similar pair of scissors.



Surprisingly enough, this multi-tool also features a cute little measuring tape. Interestingly enough, there is a spring loaded lever  that locks the tape in place. Press it in to release the tape, or to pull it out.



There is also a small pull out stapler.



Under the stapler is a small storage compartment for paper clips.



A neat addition is a calculator.



Well there you have it, another neat office multi-tool.