RE: blades in general

From:"Weems, Joyce" <JWEEMS@sjha.org>

So well said! This is what I use cork for. A good use for wine stoppers
other than wreaths!

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	McCormick, James [SMTP:JMcCormi@schosp.org]
> Sent:	Tuesday, June 19, 2001 5:28 PM
> To:	'Connie McManus'; Histo-Scientific Research Laboratories; Jim Ball;
> Histonet
> Cc:	M. Lamar Jones (E-mail); Jerry Fredenburgh (E-mail)
> Subject:	RE: blades in general
> 
> Dear Blade Complainers, Having grown up with a hone and strop, I know what
> a
> keen edge looks like when observed under 100x magnification...a thin light
> reflective line without any visible defects (nicks, however fine) at the
> cutting edge. If disposable blades are Teflon or otherwise coated there
> will
> be a different light reflex as you move the image back from the edge
> bevel,
> and this coating edge must be  "broken" to expose the true steel cutting
> edge. If you wish to be sporting, like an old fashioned barber, (not
> recommended) you may run the back of your thumb nail down the edge. This
> will tell you by neurosensors that the edge is free of nicks and also wipe
> away the coating from the treated steel cutting edge. A better way, and
> much
> safer, is to use a pencil eraser or swab applicator to swipe down the
> cutting edge.  A cotton applicator wet with xylene is an excellent tool
> for
> this "edge treatment" because it will remove oil that is a
> lubricant/antioxidant on most disposable blade packaging and also peal
> away
> the finite deposit of Teflon that, while well intended, is in fact
> preventing the cutting facet from engaging the paraffin that it intends to
> cut.  After cutting some quantity of sections the applicator wipe is an
> excellent way to regenerate good sectioning. The fact is that blades that
> do
> not engage calcium salts or shoe leather, or over processed (over
> dehydrated
> collagen)will last thru many hundreds of blocks. Adjusting the proper
> cutting angle and having a clean cutting edge will do much for permitting
> good sectioning and ribboning. There is nothing like thin sections coming
> straight off of a clean cutting edge to start and keep the day going well.
> Good cutting...J.B.McCormick M.D. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Connie McManus [mailto:conmac@cc.usu.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 1:24 PM
> To: Histo-Scientific Research Laboratories; Jim Ball; Histonet
> Subject: Re: Dura Edge Blades
> 
> 
> Primarily, I use Surgipath teflon coated blades and have no problem with
> them at all.  However, I also use Leica blades from time to time and I
> have
> noticed this last shipment of blades has not been very good.  Some blades
> fresh from the dispenser  cut just like something I would discard!  I
> prefer the Surgipath blades over the Leicas because they last longer and
> cut much nicer sections, but these Leicas are worse than usual.  Is Leica
> and Dura Edge made in the same plant, maybe???
> 
> Connie McManus
> 
> At 07:50 PM 6/17/01 -0400, Histo-Scientific Research Laboratories wrote:
> >Dear Jim,
> >
> >DITTO!  We are having the same exact problems with our latest shipments
> of
> >DuraEdge.  It is happening on all of our microtomes:  Our Leitz, Leica,
> >Reichert, Microm.  We have been having a real time of it--I also will be
> >calling DuraEdge to file a complaint!
> >
> >Beth Poole
> >HSRL
> >137 South Main Street
> >Woodstock, VA  22664
> >(540)459-8211
> >fax: (540)459-8217
> >www.hsrl.org
> >beth@hsrl.org
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Jim Ball" <histo007@hotmail.com>
> >To: <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
> >Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 1:57 PM
> >Subject: Dura Edge Blades
> >
> >
> >> Our institute is in the process of trying to find a reason for the poor
> >> sectioning we have started to experience, after receiving a new
> shipment
> >of
> >> dura edge blades. The trouble sectioning is not isolated to just one
> tech
> >> the whole histology section is having problems. There has been no
> change
> >in
> >> any of our processing. The lot number we are having a problem with is
> 1135
> >> 003, 1135 006, 1135 007, and 1135 008. I have been sectioning tissue
> for
> >25
> >> plus years so the answer to everybody first question is yes I have
> tried
> >> adjusting the angel and while this helps a little the blades do not
> seem
> >to
> >> hold an edge and I am going thru about twice the normal amount of
> blades
> I
> >> usually use. We have send one shipment back and the story from the
> >> distributor is "No one else is having any problems with our blades."
> They
> >> replaced the shipment with the same lot numbers and we continue to have
> >the
> >> same problems
> >>
> >>
> >>                                           Thank you in advance
> >>                                     James L. Ball histo007@hotmail.com
> >> _________________________________________________________________
> >> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> Connie McManus
> Veterinary Diagnostics Lab
> Utah State University
> Logan, UT
> USA



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