The Hand Microtome is capable of slicing micro thin sections as thin as 0.01mm (10 microns). It consists of a piston screwed into a tube whose free end is fixed into a flat plate serving as a stage. The knurled base at the bottom of the instrument moves the piston up or down the central tube when rotated.
The specimen is fixed on the flat top of the piston and sections are cut by drawing a razor over the upper flat surface of the instrument. The piston has a clamping mechanism for securing objects of different shapes and sizes. The instrument is graduated in 10-micron (0.01mm) increments. If a sample is initially cut at the zero graduated mark, rotating the base from 0 to 1 will raise the piston 10 microns. Taking a slice at this position will produce a 10 micron section. It follows that each complete turn of the base will produce a 500 micron (0.50mm) section.
The wooden storage box protects the instrument's components when not in use.