The Curiosity Shop Tool Tin | Taxidermy, Bones & Wet Specimen Basic Kit
I always get asked what tools I prefer to use and honestly, there is a lot!
However there are the ones I do prefer or they're my "go-to" tools. The ones I just can just pick up like an old friend and I know they won't let me down.
While there are a few kits on the market some are very expensive and I've tried a few but I seem to be fussy with what type of steel I'm using. Have you ever had a pair of steel tweezers and the metal is thin so when you grip with even the slightest of force it pushes the middle of the tweezers in making the end of them bend outwards and you lose your grip? I suppose if you know you know but it drives me insane.
I contacted a medical supplies company and asked for samples so I can choose which ones I prefer personally because I don't like to just sell something I haven't tried and expect everyone to make do.
Kit contents:
X1 Swann-Morton Stainless Steel Scalpel Handle
X5 Swann-Morton Carbon Steel #11P Blades
X5 Swann-Morton Carbon Steel #15 Blades
X2 Syringe & Sharp Needle (spare needle just in case)
X1 Stainless Steel Debakey Forceps (Tweezers)
X1 3ML Sample Thymol Antibacterial Antifungal
Bonus- alcohol wipes
So in my tin on a basic day you'd find me using:
-stainless steel debakey forceps for that extra grip when working on small animal tissue or using it to place small intricate bones.
- Swann-Morton handle and two Swann-Morton blades for small animals e.g., birds, baby animals, rats or mice. With two blades I change between #10 & #15. Swann-Morton is crafted in England and is a superior leading medical brand. This brand of scalpel is my top pick although it can cost more than off brand blades.
- a small syringe with a small sharp needle. This is best used for smaller animals to reach the appropriate injection site for wet specimens.
- a 3ml sample glass spray bottle of thymol antibacterial antifungal spray. Spray wet specimens when transferring into solution to keep mould from developing, spray your surface area to kill bacteria or spray insects to stop mould developing and deter other insects. Thymol solution is a highly saturated alcohol and pure thymol solution. Alcohol content is 99% therefore is too strong to be a hand sanitizer. I recommend wearing gloves and avoiding contact with skin as some people can be sensitive to thymol and it may cause itching and irritation (I'm sensitive to thymol and it can feel like tiny pins pricking my hand everywhere). A little goes a long way, hold at least 30cm away when spraying insects and only mist them lightly. Alcohol evaporates quickly but thymol traces are left giving insects a longer protective barrier against mould & other bugs such as mites.