Valentin knife, London, England, 1850-1870
A Valentin knife was one of the few knives able to cut slices of organs and soft tissues for microscopic examination. The double-bladed knife worked best when the blades were wet – best of all when submerged in water. When not in use the nickel-plated steel blades were put in leather covers to protect them. Named after its inventor, Professor Gabriel Valentin (1810-1883), a German-Swiss physiologist, the knife was popular from its invention in 1838 until the 1890s.
Object number:
A135073
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: histology
The study of the structure of tissues by means of special staining techniques combined with light and electron microscopy.
Glossary: Valentin knife
used to cut slices of organs for microscopic examination
Glossary: microscopy
The use of microscopes to study objects or samples. The three major types of microscopy are optical, electron and scanning probe microscopy.