Frank,

I have been in histology for some, well a lot of, years, and have tried
most all of the disposable blades.  In the beginning they were
inconsistent, and I am talking before you were born probably, but later,
the quality improved. I would never go back to standard blades.  The one
thing I have noted is the need to adjust the angle from brand to brand,
which seems like a trivial matter, but really it is important.  Most of
the disposable blades do require some adjustment from the previous
brands used to obtain good sections.  One such blade you may want to try
is the DuraEdge.  Suppliers for this blade can be found if you go to the
Histotech's home page, click on sponsors section, and then click on the
manufacturer, Crescent, where it gives you the distributors in your
area.  Call them for a sample. I have found these to be comparable to
AccuEdge, Leica's, and Sturkey's, to name just a few.  Any company will
be glad to send samples for you to try.  True, I have found some
disposable blades to be, at times, inconsistent in quality, but the
point I am trying to convey is that the angle needs to be adjusted, and
in most cases very small adjustments.

Shirley Powell