It's a disaster!

[Guest]

I have been using a metal Swan Morgan retractable scalpel for donkeys years, never could get on with Xacto and the rest. But this morning, while shaving a piece of unwanted surface detail off the Bizzy, the knife broke.

At first I thought it was the blade, they do break easily, but no! It is the metal stem that the blade slips onto that snapped. It has served me well over a long period in which it has suffered nothing but abuse but now my beloved scalpel is no more.........

Good job Scale Model Shop is just a click away, two new brass handles and spare blades ordered. Not the retractable type, cannot remember when I last retracted the blade anyway but the good old fashioned design. I must have one somewhere but I have no idea where.

The scalpel is dead, long live the scalpel.....

[zuludog]

Perhaps it's because I did biology at school & university, but I've always used Swan Morton scalpels for model making - number 3 handles with 10, 10A, and 11 blades
These were what I acquired for dissecting; if I was buying again for model making I might add a number 4 handle and similar blades
I've never had a problem with them being fixed blades

You learn very quickly that they snap easily under any sideways pressure!

The blades are supposed to be disposable but I resharpen them a couple of times before I eventually discard them. I use new blades for critical work like trimming decals and canopies, and resharpened ones for less critical work

Surfing the Net will give you lots of suppliers and starter deals. You would think that sterile blades would be more expensive than ordinary ones just intended for craft work, but that is not necessarily the case - shop around

Like you, I have tried Xacto knives but didn't take to them; I think I've still got a couple knocking around somewhere

[Guest]

that sliding model has a cast zinc alloy bit, which is why it was brittle. feel your pain though - never good to lose a trusted tool!

[PhilJ]

RIP swann morton

[zuludog]

I still use some old dental probes I got off my dentist when I was about 13 or 14 - that's 50 years ago!
That was the advice in Airfix Magazine at the time. Can you still do that, or have the Health and Safety Fascists put a stop to it?
Where the tips were broken I reshaped and sharpened them on an oilstone

I also have three good tweezers - two from my old dissecting kit and one given by my dentist along with the probes. But I still call them forceps, and ignore any cries of snob or pedant!

[stona]

Good tools last a long time and it is always sad to lose them or break them.

I had a curved hemostat (fancy locking forceps) for years, but during construction of my model space a few years ago the tool went missing. I always assumed it would turn up, maybe it will one day, but every now and then I NEED it and miss it. I really should get hold of a replacement!

I'm a big fan of a good scalpel. I buy the blades in packs of 50, which means I don't do it very often. Bag of 50 No 11 blades costs less than 6 quid, No. 10s just over 6 quid.

Cheers
Steve

[Guest]

I have ordered a box of 100 blades off John for just over £10 to come with the handles, should last me out I believe

Although, if ever I find where I put that card model of HMS Belfast, I can see me getting through a few on that. Should be able to re use them on plastic though so it won't be wasteful.

[zuludog]

I've just found some good offers - www.scalpelsandblades.co.uk have introductory or taster packs containing a handle and one of each type of blade that will fit it

number 3 handle & 19 blades for £5-39; and number 4 handle & 13 blades for £4-79

That means you can try them out and decide on the combination that suits you, and take it from there

Edit - just noticed the #3 & 19 blades is now on offer at £4-92
they also have a few other limited period offers; it gets confusing

[Guest]

I've just found some good offers - www.scalpelsandblades.co.uk have introductory or taster packs containing a handle and one of each type of blade that will fit it

number 3 handle & 19 blades for £5-39; and number 4 handle & 13 blades for £4-79

That means you can try them out and decide on the combination that suits you, and take it from there

Edit - just noticed the #3 & 19 blades is now on offer at £4-92
they also have a few other limited period offers; it gets confusing

I don't need to try them as I have been using SM for about 15 years now. Only reason I have ordered new ones is because my old one broke after years of misuse lol. As I said in my original post, already ordered From Scale Model Shop at £3.99 with 5 blades. As I order my blades in bulk I have only ordered them with blades to get a few of the lesser used ones to add to my stock. Thanks for the info though.

[Robert1968]

I have only had the blades break but thanks fir the warning graham. It's a shame when you lose something that's served you so well. I have a lighter I use when I'm stretching spruce of heating pe etc but my wife lent it to a freind who wanted a light ( I mean knocking on someone's door fir a light?? Well never saw that lighter again. But now I bought a new one ( SMS) don't sell do they
Regards

Robert