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Sterile & Lab Equipment
Scalpels (Sterile)
Swann-Morton No.20 surgical blades, gamma sterilised and sealed one per foil pack. A clean, sharp edge for cutting agar wedges and opening culture work in front of a flow hood or still air box.
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Sealed sterile until you open the pack.
Swann-Morton surgical blades, made in Sheffield
Each blade sealed in its own foil pack
The larger Swann-Morton fitting, not the slim No.3
The short version
These are genuine Swann-Morton No.20 surgical scalpel blades. Each blade is gamma sterilised and sealed in its own foil pack, so it stays sterile until you peel it open in the lab.
The No.20 is a large blade with a curved cutting edge. It is good for slicing clean wedges out of an agar plate and for general cutting around your culture work. It fits a No.4 scalpel handle, which is the wider Swann-Morton fitting, so check your handle before ordering.
What it is
A real surgical blade, sealed sterile
The No.20 is one of Swann-Morton's larger blades. It has a curved cutting edge and a flat, unsharpened back, and it is a bigger version of the well known No.10 shape. It is sold in stainless steel and made in Sheffield.
Each blade comes gamma sterilised in its own sealed foil pack. You peel one open only when you need it, so the cutting edge stays clean and sterile right up to the moment of use. A blade is single use. Once it has touched anything non sterile, treat it as used.
| Blade | Swann-Morton No.20 |
|---|---|
| Shape | Large, curved cutting edge, flat back |
| Steel | Stainless surgical steel |
| Handle fitting | No.4 (also 4L and 4 Graduated) |
| Sterile | Gamma sterilised, sealed foil pack |
How to use it
Cutting agar and opening culture work
The main job for a scalpel in the lab is moving mycelium from one plate to another, and cutting wedges out of an agar plate. Work in front of a flow hood or in a still air box, with everything you need laid out before you open anything.
Fit the blade
Slide a fresh blade onto a clean No.4 handle. Hold the blade by the back, not the edge, and seat it on the bayonet fitting.
Sterilise the edge
Pass the blade through a flame until it glows, or wipe it with high strength alcohol and let it flame off. The blade is sterile in the pack, but most growers flame it again between every cut.
Cool it
A red hot blade will kill the mycelium it touches. Cool it for a moment, or dip it into clean agar at the edge of the plate, before you cut.
Cut and lift
Cut a small wedge from the leading edge of healthy growth, lift it cleanly, and lay it face down on the fresh plate. Keep the lid off for as little time as you can.
Re-sterilise between cuts
Flame the blade again before every new plate. Every second between sterilising and cutting gives airborne spores a chance to land.
For fine tissue cloning, where you reach into the inside of a fresh mushroom, many growers prefer a small pointed blade such as a No.11 on a slim No.3 handle. The No.20 is a larger, general purpose edge. It cuts agar wedges well, but it is not the finest choice for picking tiny pieces of inner tissue.
Storage and safety
Keep it sealed, dispose of it safely
Store the foil packs somewhere dry and cool, away from damp. Leave each blade sealed until you are ready to use it. A pack that has been opened or pierced is no longer sterile.
These are surgical blades and they are very sharp. Always handle by the back of the blade, keep fingers clear of the edge, and put used blades straight into a proper sharps bin. Do not put loose blades in household waste.
This is laboratory and cultivation equipment, sold for legal gourmet growing and microscopy work. It is not a medical or veterinary product and is not for use on people or animals.
Common questions
Frequently asked
No. It is the blade only. It fits a Swann-Morton No.4 handle, sold separately. Check your handle size before ordering.
Yes. Each blade is gamma sterilised and sealed in its own foil pack, and stays sterile until you open it.
A blade is single use for sterile work. You can flame it between cuts in one session, but once it is dull or has touched anything non sterile, fit a fresh one.
It cuts agar wedges well. For reaching into the inner flesh of a fresh mushroom, a smaller pointed blade like a No.11 is easier to control.
Put them in a sharps bin, never in normal household waste. They are very sharp.
What customers say
Reviews
Ouch, yep there sharp, good sterile packaging
As described
Good
What can I say? Sharp ....
Great product
Great service. Nice freebies aswell. Recommended
Ask the community
Questions and answers
No questions yet. Yours could be the first.
Sold as laboratory and cultivation equipment for legal gourmet growing and microscopy. Not a medical device. Keep sharp blades away from children.
We work hard to keep this information accurate and to cite reputable sources, but the occasional mistake can still slip through. Always check the product label and a current reference before relying on any figure for something important.