Quick Answer: The Secure Hand Microtome is a hand-operated instrument for cutting thin slices of plant material for the microscope, in a version whose name marks it out for safer student use. A secure hand microtome raises the specimen in small steps while a blade passes across the top, giving even sections of stems, roots and leaves.
What Secure Means in a Sectioning Practical
Sectioning is one of the few biology practicals in which students handle a very sharp blade, and freehand razor work on a crowded bench needs close watching. The French catalogue name of this item, microtome à main sécurisé, and the word Secure in the English title identify it as the safety-minded version of the hand microtome. In school equipment that usually means the blade is held in a guard or carrier so fingers stay clear of the edge, instead of a loose razor gripped in the hand.
The cutting routine is the familiar one. A short piece of stem, packed if necessary in carrot or pith, goes into the central well. Each small turn of the feed screw lifts the tissue slightly above the cutting plate, a single steady stroke of the blade takes off a slice, and the slice is lifted from the wet plate with a fine brush. Compared with the standard Hand Microtome, the aim is the same even sections with less exposure to the blade.
The listing does not describe the guard or the blade system, and that determines which replacement blades fit and how they are changed. Settle both points before a class set is ordered, so spares arrive with the instruments.
Specifications
| Instrument | Hand microtome, secure (safety-minded) version |
| Operation | Feed screw advances the specimen; blade passed across the top |
| Suitable material | Plant stems, roots, leaves and petioles, alone or packed in pith |
| Intended users | Students in school and college practicals |
| Blade system and replacement blades | Confirm at enquiry |
Applications
- First sectioning exercises in lower-secondary biology using soft stems such as balsam
- Thin slices of potato tuber stained with iodine to show starch-storing cells
- Celery petiole sections for finding collenchyma in the ridges
- Supervised practicals for classes not yet trained to use an open razor
Care & Handling
- Fit and remove blades only as the guard design intends, with the feed screw wound down.
- Keep the plate and blade wet while cutting so slices float off without tearing.
- Dry the secure hand microtome after use and oil the feed thread lightly.
- Keep spare blades in their packet and put used blades in a sharps container.
Why Choose LabEquip
Schools introducing plant anatomy to younger students, and colleges with large first-year classes, choose a secure version to reduce contact with the blade. LabEquip lists it with its other sectioning instruments in the Microscope & Optics range; ask about blade type and spares on the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a secure hand microtome differ from a standard one?
Both advance the specimen with a feed screw and cut with a blade drawn across the top. The secure version is built around safer handling of the blade, keeping fingers away from the edge, which suits classes where supervising many free razors at once is impractical.
What blade does it use?
The listing does not specify the blade, and the right type depends on how the guard or holder is built. Confirm the replacement blade at enquiry so spares can be ordered with the instrument.
How thin should a section be?
Thin enough for light to pass through so single layers of cells can be seen; in practice the slice looks almost transparent when floated in water. Pick the thinnest complete sections for staining and discard the rest.
Which plant material cuts cleanly?
Firm fresh or alcohol-stored stems, roots and petioles cut well. Soft leaves and slender stems need support from carrot, potato or pith packing. Very woody material is hard to cut on any hand microtome.
Is it suitable for animal tissue?
Not really. Mammalian tissue is normally embedded in paraffin wax and cut on a rotary microtome, or frozen and cut on a cryostat or freezing microtome. Hand microtomes are designed around firm plant material.
How should students stain their sections?
Move the sections with a fine brush into a watch glass of water, stain with a simple stain such as safranin or toluidine blue, rinse, and mount in dilute glycerine under a coverslip. Toluidine blue colours lignified and unlignified walls differently in a single step.
Last Updated: September 2026
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