Tension and Snap

I clamped my curved right hand firmly onto the lever of a wooden clothespin. When I pressed down with my whole arm, the tiny steel coil fought back with a quiet squeak—and then the jaws popped wide open! I quickly slid the corner of a folded paper strip between the wooden teeth before letting go. Click! The spring snapped shut, pinching the paper firmly in place. No glue, no fasteners, just pure tension holding it steady. I gave it a brisk tug, and it didn't slip a millimeter!