78 ANATOMICAL TECHNOLOGY. 



E. In case the edge should turn over, producing the so-called 

 wire edge, it must be removed by drawing the edge along some fine- 

 grained substance like horn or ebony. One should be careful not 

 to get any of the detached wire edge on the stone, as it would be 

 liable to produce nicks in the edge of the knife. 



F. (1) Use the coarse stone until the knife will cut a thin shaving 

 from the convex surface of smooth writing paper. (2) Wrap the 

 paper around a lead pencil, remove the pencil and rest the blade 

 flat upon the paper. Press down slightly, and push the blade, 

 edge forward, along the top of the curve. If the knife is sharp, it 

 will cut a thin shaving from the paper. (3) Another very excellent 

 way to judge of moderate sharpness is to rest the tang of the blade 

 on the end of the medius, and to feel of the edge by moving the ball 

 of the index along it in such a way that if a cut were made it 

 would be a mere shaving from the cuticle like that from the paper. 

 If the knife is sharp, it will take liold, as it is called, that is, one 

 can feel that it is cutting. The ball of the index is very sensitive, 

 and one can judge quite correctly of the smoothness and sharpness 

 of the edge. Those who object to trying the edge on the skin 

 can employ a bit of smooth grained cork. 



G. (1) When the edge is sufficiently sharp throughout its entire 

 extent to cut a shaving from the cylindrical paper, or to take hold 

 of the finger or the edge of the cork, the fine stone may be used. 



(2 1 In using the fine stone the blade should be turned at every 

 sweep. Use the fine stone until the knife will cut a hair near its 

 base or near the point where it is held. 



(3) It often happens that some parts of an edge are sharp and 

 others not. In such a case the dull parts alone can be applied to 

 the stone by using the edge of the stone. 



When the scalpel will cut a hair close to a fixed point, it is 

 sufficiently sharp for ordinary dissecting. 



185. Stropping. A good razor strop is required, as, e. ff., 

 "EmersonsV 



The strop is to give the final keenness and smoothness to the 

 edge of a cutting instrument. It is a waste of time to employ it 

 before the degree of sharpness indicated for the fine stone is 

 attained, as the strop sharpens very slowly. 



A. (1) Grasp the knife exactly as for honing. (2) The blade is 

 carried across the strop with a long curving sweep just as de- 

 scribed for honing except that the back of the Hade precedes the 



