Spare Blade for Humby and Watson Skin Graft Knives
Price range: $ 12.50 through $ 90.50
This is the spare blade for the Humby and the Watson skin graft knives, the long single edged blade that drops into the frame and does the actual cutting. It is a single use part: it goes in before the case, comes out after it, and is never resharpened, because a graft blade that has lost its edge does not cut shallower, it drags, and drag tears a sheet instead of shaving it. The same blade fits both of our graft knives, so a unit running one of each keeps one blade line in the stores rather than two.
Key Features
- Fits both our Humby and our Watson skin graft knives
- Long single edged blade, seated in the frame of the knife
- Single use, never resharpened
- Order as a single blade or as a box of 10
- Not a numbered scalpel blade; a 10 or a 15 does not fit a graft knife
- Supplied clean and dry, ready to be sterilized with your own process
- Item code AA-50.10
What a spare blade for a Humby or a Watson is
A spare blade for a Humby or a Watson is the cutting part of a skin graft knife. The frame, the guard and the thumb screws are reusable and last for years; the blade is thrown away after one case. It is long, thin and single edged, and it seats into the frame rather than clipping onto a scalpel style fitting.
The one thing to be clear about before ordering is that a graft knife blade and a scalpel blade are not interchangeable in either direction. Graft blades are unnumbered and long. Scalpel blades are numbered, short, and fit a handle. If a tray needs both, it needs both products, and the handles are on this site as well.
Key design features
One blade, both knives
Our Humby and our Watson take this same blade. That is worth saying plainly because it is the practical reason to buy the two knives from one maker: a single line in the stores, a single part number to reorder, and no chance of the wrong blade arriving for the wrong frame. If you run graft knives from more than one source, check the seat before assuming a blade crosses over.
It is not a scalpel blade
This gets ordered wrongly more than anything else in the category. A graft knife blade is long, thin and unnumbered. A number 10, 11, 15 or 20 from a scalpel tray is a different shape with a different fitting and will not seat in a Humby or a Watson. If what you actually need is a numbered blade, you need a scalpel handle, not a graft knife.
Single use, and why nobody resharpens one
A graft blade works along its whole length in one pass, so the edge has to be the same from end to end. Resharpening by hand cannot hold that, and a blade that is keen in the middle and blunt at the ends takes a sheet that is thin in the middle and ragged at the edges. A new blade costs less than a wasted donor site.
Boxes of ten, or one at a time
Buy a single blade to check the fit against a frame you already own, then boxes of ten for a list. Units that run a burn service generally hold a box per theater rather than per instrument, because a case can use more than one if a second sheet is needed.
What to tell us when you order
This product carries one option on our site, a single blade or a box of ten. The rest is worth settling before you order.
| What to tell us | Why it matters | If you do not know |
|---|---|---|
| Single blade or box of 10 | A single is for checking a fit; a box is for running a list | One single first, then boxes once the fit is confirmed |
| Which knife it is for | Ours fits our Humby and our Watson. A frame from another maker may seat differently | Tell us the maker and we will check before shipping |
| How many boxes | A burn service often holds one box per theater, not per instrument | One box, then a standing quantity |
| Whether you need the knife too | Both knives are on this site and both can ship with 5 or 10 blades already | Order the knife with 10 and you have a case covered |
| Your own item number | We mark an OEM run to your catalogue rather than ours | Leave it blank and the run carries our code |
Where it is used
The blade goes wherever the knife goes, so the list is the same one the graft knives carry.
| Where it is used | What the blade is doing there |
|---|---|
| Burn surgery | Cutting the split thickness sheet that covers the burn |
| Trauma and tissue loss | Taking a donor sheet to resurface the area |
| Chronic wound and ulcer cover | Harvesting for a bed that will not close on its own |
| Wound debridement | Shaving dead tissue off in thin passes |
| Reconstructive surgery | Taking a planned donor sheet |
| Teaching | A fresh edge for every practice harvest |
What it fits, and what it does not fit
This is the column that saves a wasted order. Graft blades and scalpel blades are not interchangeable in either direction.
| It fits | It does not fit |
|---|---|
| Our Humby skin graft knife | A number 3 scalpel handle, which takes numbered blades |
| Our Watson skin grafting knife | A number 4 scalpel handle, which takes the larger numbered blades |
| The frame seat on both, unchanged | A powered dermatome head, which uses its own blade |
| A fresh case, every time | A second case, because it is single use |
How it compares with the other things people search for
Five things get typed into a search box when someone means one of these. Only two of them are this product.
| What you might be looking for | What it actually is | Do we make it |
|---|---|---|
| Spare graft knife blade | This page. Long, single edged, fits our Humby and Watson | Yes |
| A numbered scalpel blade | A short blade for a scalpel handle, numbers 10 to 25 | No, we make the handles |
| The Humby knife itself | The handle and frame, with the rolling front bar | Yes |
| The Watson knife itself | The handle and frame, modified front guard | Yes |
| A powered dermatome blade | A different part for an electric or air driven head | No |
Materials and finish
Every graft knife blade we make is cut from high quality medical grade stainless steel. The steel itself is made to a German specification. We do not publish a grade number, because the number on a certificate tells a surgeon nothing about whether the edge is even end to end, and the answer to that is in the making rather than in the alloy.
On a blade there is only one surface that matters and it is the edge. Ours is ground and then finished so the keenness is the same from one end to the other, because a graft blade cuts along its whole length in a single pass and an edge that varies produces a sheet that varies. The blade is supplied clean and dry rather than sterile, so it goes through your own process with the rest of the tray.
Caring for it
There is no care routine for a single use blade, and that is the point of one. Fit it before the case, handle it with forceps rather than fingers, and dispose of it as a sharp immediately after use. Nothing is resharpened and nothing is kept for a second case.
What does need care is the frame it sits in. Take the blade out before the knife goes near a washer, back the thumb screws fully off, and brush the blade seat, because dried tissue on the seat is what makes the next blade sit proud. A blade that rocks in the seat takes a ragged sheet, and nine times out of ten the seat is the cause rather than the blade. Our three year replacement warranty covers the knives; blades are a consumable and are not covered, which is normal for a single use part.
Ordering and wholesale
Every spare graft knife blade we sell is made in our own workshop and sold direct, which is why the price sits where it does against the catalogue houses. Order one for a single tray, or in quantity for a hospital list or a distributor line. We do OEM work under your own brand and your own item numbers, and we will hold a run to your pattern rather than ours if you send us a sample. Stock items ship from our own workshop. Backorder items take 10 to 12 working days to make. Every instrument carries a three year replacement warranty against manufacturing defects. Production is controlled under an ISO 13485 quality management system.
Frequently asked questions
What is the name of the Humby knife blade used for skin grafting?
It is called a Humby knife blade, a skin graft knife blade, or simply a graft blade, and the same blade is sold for the Watson. It does not carry a number the way a scalpel blade does, so there is no equivalent of a “number 10” in graft blades. Ours is listed as a spare blade for the Humby and the Watson and comes as a single blade or a box of ten.
Are you looking to purchase replacement blades or the handle assembly?
This page is the replacement blades. The handles are separate products: the Humby skin graft knife and the Watson skin grafting knife, both on this site, and both can be ordered bare or with 5 or 10 blades already included. If you are starting from nothing, a handle with 10 blades is the usual first order.
What brand or handle type, Humby or Watson, are you using?
Our blade fits both of ours. If your frame came from another maker, tell us which and we will check the seat before anything ships rather than letting you find out in theater. Graft knife seats are broadly similar across the trade but they are not guaranteed identical, and a blade that sits proud in a seat is worse than no blade at all.
What is a blade skin graft?
It is a split thickness graft taken with a hand knife rather than with a powered dermatome. The surgeon sets the gap between the blade and the guard, holds the donor skin taut, and draws the knife through in one pass to lift a sheet of that thickness. The blade on this page is the part that does the cutting.
Can I use a number 10 or number 15 scalpel blade in a skin graft knife?
No. A graft knife seat takes a long unnumbered blade and a numbered scalpel blade is a different shape with a different fitting. The reverse is also true: a graft blade will not go into a number 3 or number 4 scalpel handle. Very small donor sites are sometimes taken with a small graft blade designed for a scalpel handle, but that is a different product again and not what this page sells.
Related products and categories
The knives these blades fit are the Humby skin graft knife and the Watson skin grafting knife. If what you need is a numbered scalpel blade rather than a graft blade, you need a handle, and the number 3 scalpel handle is the standard small pattern. Everything in this family is listed in scalpel handles and skin grafting tools, and the reconstructive range sits under breast surgery instruments.
| Weight | 0.02 kg |
|---|---|
| More Option | Box Of 10 Blades, Single Blade |
Shipping & Delivery Policy
Processing Time: In-stock items are dispatched within 24-48 hours. For custom or out-of-stock items, production time is approximately 10-15 days.
Global Delivery Estimates
We partner with world-class couriers (DHL, FedEx) to ensure fast, tracked delivery.
- USA & Canada: 3-5 Business Days
- Europe & UK: 4-6 Business Days
- Rest of World: 5-7 Business Days
*We offer Air Cargo and Sea Freight options for bulk wholesale orders.
Customs & Duties
International buyers are responsible for any customs duties or taxes imposed by their country. Adas Instruments is not responsible for delays caused by customs clearance.
Lost Packages & Insurance
If your package is lost in transit, please contact us immediately. We offer full support and replacements for confirmed lost shipments. Note: You must report non-delivery within 3 weeks to be eligible for an insurance claim.
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