I agree and many times not sharp enough to make me happy.  Pam Marcum

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gayle Callis [mailto:uvsgc@montana.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 1:53 PM
> To: alison james; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject: Re: sharp blade??
>
>
> My motto has always been, I have never met a blade that is too sharp!
>
>  Dulling a c profile steel knife seems counterproductive -  however, using
> the cryomatrix is the better way to prevent nicks, etc that create ski
> tracks and it seems that after you run a few cuts with
> cryoembedding media,
> you ARE getting better cuts.  It may be that you have removed any oil
> coating the edge after reconditioning with the frozen cryomatrix.
>  Residual
> oil can be cleaned off edge with 100% alcohol or acetone.
>
> When a blade is resharpened/reconditioned it changes blade to some degree
> and the antiroll device would have to be carefully checked for
> readjustment
> to compensate. OR you could try adjusting your knife angle a tidge to make
> sure the sections come off flat.  Knife angle may be one important factor.
>
> Personally, I think the oil is your problem
>
> Happy cutting
>
>
>
>
>
> At 11:30 AM 1/10/02 -0500, you wrote:
> >i use a cryostat to section my embryos and every so often the blade gets
> >sent out to be sharpened.  when we get the blade back it is SO
> sharp that
> >the tissue immediately curls before we can get it on a slide.
> we do use an
> >anti-roll plate.  recently we have been using old embryos or
> straight frozen
> >cryo matrix to dull the blade enough to stop the curling.  this however,
> >takes a while.  does anyone have any suggestions on how to dull
> the blade
> >once it's freshly sharpened?
> >-alison-
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> Gayle Callis
> MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
> Histopathology Supervisor
> Veterinary Molecular Biology - Marsh Lab
> Montana State University - Bozeman
> 19th and Lincoln St
> Bozeman MT 59717-3610
>
> 406 994-6367
> 406 994-4303 (FAX)
>
>
>