Dumont tweezer, style 1

Dumont Pattern Style 1 tweezers is a fairly strong (sturdy), but fine-pointed tweezers which can be used for finer general work.  

Dumont tweezers are known all over the world for their high quality, durability and detailed engineering.  When selecting Dumont tweezers, reference should be made to the tweezer style, material and grade of the tip finish. In pointed tweezers especially, this refers to the fineness of the tip. (Biology Grade tweezers are recommended for high-precision work under a microscope)

Dumont Tweezers - Grade and Material

Material

• Dumoxel is non-magnetic and strongly anti-corrosive. It is softer than Inox.
• Inox is quality stainless steel. It is magnetic which can be a problem when handling nickel grids. Inox is less acid resistant than Dumoxel or Dumostar. Unless the special properties of Dumoxel or Dumostar are required, Inox tweezers are excellent and most Dumont tweezers sold are made from Inox steel.
  Inox 02 is standard stainless steel.
  Inox 08 is medical grade stainless steel and can be autoclaved at 180 deg C.
• Dumostar is a cobalt rich stainless steel alloy with outstanding characteristics and unmatched durability. It is non-magnetic. The steel is resistant to fatigue; the tips never lose their elasticity. The modulus of elasticity is 210'000 MPA. The hardness is 720 Vickers/ 61 Rockwell. The hardness of the tips is progressive and peaks in the employment zone.
  Dumostars resistance is quite superior to the best of stainless steels. It has very good resistance to corrosion in: sea water, HCl, H₃PO₄, HNO₃, H₂SO₄ and neutral and alkaline environments.
• Carbon steel is an extremely hard alloy (>59 HRC) composed of C, Mn and Si. While carbon ensures strong tips, it will nevertheless rust easily. This alloy is magnetic and cannot be sterilised.
• Titanium is an alloy composed of C, Fe, O, H, N and Ti. It is totally resistant to corrosion from nitric acid, chloride, sea water and similar. This alloy is not as hard as Inox 08 but is 40% lighter and more flexible. Titanium is 100% antimagnetic and can handle temperatures up to 430 deg C.

Tweezers - grade of tip finish

• Biology (medical) has the finest tips. They are available in Inox, Dumoxel and Dumostar. Straight pointed tweezers are finer than curved.
• High precision (watchmaking) is most commonly used in EM work. They are available in Dumoxel, Inox and Dumostar.
• Electronic are not as fine as high precision; they are available in Inox only. For large tweezers, a more robust tip is no disadvantage and electronic grade is good value.

Tweezers - other features

• Epoxy-coated Except for the tips, some tweezers are covered with a durable blue epoxy coating, giving extra thermal and electric insulation. The epoxy can be used up to 120 degrees C. The intact coating is 220V safe and exceptionally resistant to solvents, acids and saline solutions, but not to strong caustics.
• AC are anti-capillary tip tweezers; they are only available in Biology grade. Though easily damaged, these tweezers defy capillary action and they are favoured by some users for staining operations.
• N denotes self-closing.
• Medical grade tweezers usually have grooved finger grips and a particularly fine surface finish. Some types are mirror-polished, but most types are supplied with a fine matt finish. The medical finish is available in just a few styles.

Catalogue numbers
The catalogue numbers start with T0 followed by the style, then 3 digits. The first digit refers to the metal, the second to the grade, the third to the finish.

Tweezers - Styles and Tips Guide

Dumont Tweezers - Grade and Material