10 



Methods in Plant Histology 



pins fitting the three holes in the blade, since they add nothing to 

 the rigidity and even interfere with the insertion and adjustment of 

 the knife. The knife should not project more than a millimeter 

 beyond the holder. With the Gillette blade in this holder, we have 



FIG. 5. Strickler's clamp for holding Gillette blades. 



cut smooth sections, 2 and 3 jit in thickness, and have cut large 

 sections 2 cm. in diameter and 15 JJL in thickness, even such refractory 

 objects as the strobili of Isoetes and Selaginella cutting as smoothly 

 as with a first-class microtome knife. When the success of the 



FIG. 6. Scalpels made from Gillette blades, showing a blade which has been cut 

 into pieces with shears, three of the pieces soldered to nails with flattened heads, and a 

 scalpel used in an ordinary needle-holder. 



holder or rather, its sale became evident, two prominent optical 

 companies, without any apologies or reference to Mr. Strickler, 

 began to manufacture it and advertised it in their catalogs. Up to 

 this time their holders are much inferior to Mr. Strickler's, doubtless 

 because they overlooked a very important, but very obscure detail. 



