Manual Paper Shredder - Four Reasons To Get One

Electronic office machines have their uses, no doubt about it.  You can perform an office task in less time and with lesser hassles but at greater efficiency and efficacy levels, all other things like skills and intelligence being equal.  But despite all of these benefits of electronic office equipment, the likes of the manual paper shredder has its merits.

We can mention four in this regard.  First, the manual shredder is almost silent when compared to its electronic counterpart. This is because there are no complicated gears to deal with, just your basic manual crank.  Thus, you can crank away at those sensitive documents in the middle of the day or night without anybody getting any wiser about it.

Second, since there are no complicated electronic gears to deal with, you have lesser hassles on your hands.  Maintenance can be performed without calling in the big guns over at the utility department where the men and women are more than ready to give anybody within earshot a lecture on the proper use of the electronic thingamajigs. It is enlightening in some ways but not something you will want to listen to all the time that the paper shredder breaks down.

Third, you can actually add water to the manual paper shredder! As such, the shredded paper becomes pulp, which is absolutely impossible to reconstruct by even the most skilled investigator in the world.  Now, contrast that with electronic paper shredders where the bits and pieces may still be reconstructed to its almost-perfect state.

Fourth, you can stop the operation at any time.  With the electronic paper shredder, once you start the operation and leave the machine, there is no turning back unless and until you manually switch off the unit. 

This reminds us of a joke in the office that goes like this:  A new office worker with no experience with a paper shredder was standing in front of said unit, a thick sheaf of documents in hand.  He was obviously at a loss that a veteran employee walks over and says, "Do you want a helping hand with that?" and the new guy nods his head.  And so, in goes the thick volume into the electronic paper shredder.  After a few minutes when the document was shredded to bits, the new guy asks the old guy; "Where do the photocopies come out?"

Now, if the manual paper shredder was used, this would not have happened.  The new guy will know that the machine shreds paper, not photocopies it when the first few pages goes into the wastebasket.  (Also, the moral of the story is that miscommunication can kill careers early on so do remember to ask before lending a helping hand, no matter how noble your intentions may have been in the first place)

With all these benefits, you should take a step back in time and consider the manual paper shredder for your office. It may perform the job of shredding paper in a slower manner but is as effective as its electronic counterparts, too.  Plus, there is always the joy of working with your hands in a similar fashion as when you worked with scissors.