A stapler is generally a class III lever.

Quick Scoop: What type of lever is a stapler?

In a typical desk stapler:

  • The fulcrum (pivot) is at the back hinge.
  • The effort is applied along the top, roughly in the middle, when you press down.
  • The load is at the front where the staple is driven through the paper.

Because the effort lies between the fulcrum and the load , this setup matches a class III lever.

Some explanations note that if a stapler were pressed right at the extreme front or used in an unusual way, it could resemble other lever classes, but in normal everyday use on a desk, it is treated and taught as a class III lever.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.