Scalpel!

A couple of weeks back I had a disaster. My scalpel broke! The piece that holds the blade fractured, and I wasn't even pressing that hard at the time. Mind you I had only been thinking shortly beforehand that it was looking a bit well-used, goodness knows how old it is, and maybe I should get a spare.

However that left me at the start of the bank holiday weekend without a scalpel, which would rather limit modelling opportunities. Fortunately while local model shop (Sussex Model Centre) doesn't stock trains (being specialists in radio control and plastic kits) it is very useful for tools and materials, so it didn't take long to pop out and pick up a new Swann Morton No. 3 scalpel as seen in the centre of the photo. It takes the same blades - I have quite a stock - but it came with 5, so at about £3.50 it seemed good value. Unfortunately my son came with me to the shop, and ended up buying a drone....

Anyway, sorted for a scalpel so modelling was not interrupted for long, but I miss the chunky easy to grip handle and retractable blade of my old one. Thanks to Amazon I got a new version "Swann Morton Premium Retractaway" handle delivered by the end of the week for not a lot of money (see bottom of photo), it's changed colour and the sliding handle design has changed slightly, but it's still the same and will no doubt become my favourite again.

The No. 3 will be a useful back-up, and handy for confined spaces, but I will have to be careful of the exposed blade on the bench or in the toolbox.

Swab!