The sharpness of blades used in dermatologic surgery

BACKGROUND: There are numerous blades available for use in dermatologic procedures. There are different advantages that are inhere.nt to different blades due to their shape and size. One aspect of the blade that is instrumental to its performance, but is not objectively defined, is sharpness. This information could be useful when choosing a blade for a particular procedure. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to objectively define the sharpness of blades used in dermatologic surgery. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The Sharpness Tester (Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association, Sheffield, UK) was used to test the force in Newtons a blade requires to cut through a silicone cylinder. New blades were used to determine a standard for the sharpness of new blades. Blades used for surgery were tested to determine the sharpness after use. RESULTS: The sharpest blade is the double-edged razor blade (0.395 N) followed by the dermablade (0.46 N), plastic handled # 15 (0.541 N), # 15c (0.575 N), # 10 (0.647 N), and the # 15 blade (0.664 N). CONCLUSION: The sharpness of a blade is an important factor in its ability to perform a task and should be taken into account when choosing a particular blade for a particular procedure.