Yes.
They're called "flat laps", and can be purchased from any lapidary 
supply house. There's nothing magic about sharpening microtome 
knives, nor should there be any need to send knives to some special 
place to have them sharpened for lots of money.

Oh -- flint and obsidian blades are still available and make 
excellent scapels. Sharper than metal ones.

Phil

>     Do you think they'll still make them (or parts for them) in 10 years? I
>haven't used them since college. Knife sharpeners are kind of like obsidian
>spears and flint hammers aren't they?
>Amos Brooks
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Klazien Bosch" 
>To: 
>Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 7:01 AM
>Subject: price knife-sharping machine
>
>
>>  Dear Histonetters,
>>  I have to make a budget proposal for the next 10 years(!!). One of the
>>  things I want to put on it, is a sharping machine for microtome knifes,
>but
>>  I have no idea of the price and I cannot find the right information at the
>>  internet. We have a Shandon Autosharp 5, that works well, but is already
>>  more than 20 years old, I think. Can someone give me an indication of the
>>  price?
>>  Thanks for the help.
>>
>>  Klazien Bosch
>>  Department of Cell Biology & Histology
>>  Academic Medical Center
>>  University of Amsterdam
>>  Amsterdam
>>  The Netherlands
>>
>>
>>

-- 
Philip Oshel
Supervisor, AMFSC and BBPIC microscopy facilities
Department of Animal Sciences
University of Wisconsin
1675 Observatory Drive
Madison,  WI  53706 - 1284
voice: (608) 263-4162
fax: (608) 262-5157 (dept. fax)