The Rexel Matador 2 stapler, which is painted a rich dark red, with black plastic on the hand grip and underneath, is a bulky, chunky, heavy-duty stapler. It shows few of the concessions to attractive design of more recent models, looking much more functional than fashionable, but it is still the stapler I reach for first when I want to do a lot of stapling, including of multiple-page documents, without having to worry whether the thing will last the pace.

The Matador 2 accepts Rexel no. 16 or no. 56 staples, and several hundred can be placed inside ready for use by pulling the two sides of the stapler apart, pulling back the spring-loaded catch and inserting the staples, before closing the stapler again. When doing this, a little bit of care is required, as the halves need to click together, but if you push too hard you risk ending up with a staple in your finger!

This stapler has quite a definite action, and requires a fairly firm push to operate, in particular for the final stage when the stapling itself is undertaken. However, provided that these instructions are followed, the staples are reliably inserted and folded very neatly. The metal pad on the bottom half of the stapler is strong, fitting in with the tough and rugged feel of the rest of the tool, and you never feel that it is about to fall apart even when handled fairly roughly.

The one part of the Matador 2 which *is* a little flimsy is the plastic hand grip, which wobbles a little if pressed hard, though I think it would be quite hard actually to crack it. I strongly recommend this stapler for use in offices and homes where stapling is required on a regular basis and where looks are less important than efficiency.

Rating: 7