Yes, they are still being used today, but what's more important is installing the bed cloth correctly....and that bed cloth is NOT installed correctly at all
staples are still used a lot, especially on tables with slate liners.
(and of course on the rails too)
there's even a few old schoolers still around that use tacks, which i dont advise unless you are really really good at it.
more hackwork I feel sorry for the table owner... there is a very simple and straightforward stretch pattern that needs to be followed ... and clearly it wasn't .....