Personally I like the TBS dispo blade holder. It has a clamping
mechanism that is durable and far better that the screw-type holders.
You can also get them with an extended clamp arm to fit those microtomes
with extended blade guards.

You can also get a new stage for the 1512 which is designed only for
dispo blades. That's the best solution, if money is no object.

Tim Morken, B.S., EMT(MSA), HTL(ASCP)
Infectious Disease Pathology
Centers for Disease Control
MS-G32
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333
USA

email: tim9@cdc.gov
       timcdc@hotmail.com

FAX:  (404)639-3043


----Original Message Follows----
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 16:50:10 -0600
From: Gayle Callis <uvsgc@msu.oscs.montana.edu>
Subject: disposable blades
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu

So many are good these days, but for dense, tough tissues, we
use high profiles since they are a tidge thicker, but just as sharp and
usually the same price per blade, therefore we use high exclusively, and
in cryostat as well.

Low profiles are good for many tissues, but tend to cause more chatter
with our larger bone specimens, particularly with cortical bone
present or very dense tissue. This is just a hint, so both low and
high profiles work well, but you may need a backup for tough tissue.

We love Accuedge, but like Prosource, Olympus and Leica.  Other
vendors have good products, and we look for coated blades,
teflon or whatever they use to produce a section that is flat
(no compression).  Try Shandon's new blades, also Surgipath, Sturkey,
and whoever else (they provide samples) makes them.

Have never found a blade that is too sharp, if sections curl on a new
blade, trim with a blank paraffin block to prepare the edge, but most
of all check your angle settings for the particular blade you use.
Tried
preparing an edge with guaze and put ski tracks in the sections.  I
believe I learned the blank block trick from Ada Feldman!  Your 1512
is a good m'tome to work with! excellent thin sections with disposables.

Good luck and happy cutting

Gayle Callis






______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com