An Exhaustive History of the Trapper Keeper

Mental Floss has posted an exhaustive history of the Trapper Keeper, the snazzy 3-ring binder with a closeable flap that graced the desk of many a student during the 80s and 90s. The article traces the binder’s history from its development in the late 70s to its sudden popularity in the 80s, and includes an interview with Trapper Keeper inventor E. Bryant Crutchfield.

The Trapper Keeper was a well designed binder and folder system that could organize up to six subjects worth of school materials. But Trapper Keepers didn’t work their way into the hearts of America’s youth with angled pockets or intelligent modular design.