Welcome

Sharpen your instruments. Save your money.

From wear, drops and dings, surgical instruments can be prohibitively expensive to replace. That's where Corte Instruments comes in. Skilled technician Daron provides precision surgical instrument sharpening and repair to the medical research community.

The repair process is done by hand with custom files and stones. Honing machines are rarely used on any instrument shorter than 12cm (4.7"). Minimizing this impact ensures the least amount of metal is removed to refurbish an edge or tip, so the instrument retains a "like new" look and function.

Cost Effective

Sharpen your instruments, save money. Having your forceps, scissors, or rongeurs refurbished costs 66-90% less than replacing them. A 2002 survey of the first 100 orders done by Corte Instruments showed that the average lab saved nearly $1000 in new instrument costs. Click 'services' for the general price list.

Quick turnaround

Typical turn around is 4-7 days. Instruments sent to Corte Instruments can be repaired and shipped the following business day. If you need expedited turn around, call or email AFTER the box is delivered and I can bump it up in line.

Check the repair schedule to see if there is a potential conflict with a quick turn around because of being out of the office.

* Twenty years of experience in the industry.
* Worked on over 250,000 microscopic instruments.
* Familiar with the animal models used in research.

About

Daron worked for a surgical instrument company for six years, gaining a breadth of experience that included consulting with manufacturers, overseeing quality control, customizing products for end users and even designing instruments still in use to this day. Above all, he developed a keen insight into how surgical instruments best look and perform under the microscope.

During this time, Daron offered complementary surgical instrument repair and sharpening as a value-added service for his customers. After taking some time off, several former clients suggested Daron start a company dedicated to the repair and sharpening service he'd perfected over the years. And so Corte Instruments was born.

Services

Price List: (effective January 2019)

* Forceps tip size A-B — $12
* Forceps tip size C — $11
* Forceps tip size D-F — $10
* Surgical Scissors — $14
* Spring Scissors — $28
* Rongeurs — $28

5% discount for 10 or more instruments
10% discount for 20 or more instruments
Ground shipping - $10; 2-3 day air - $13

Instrument Sharpening

The repair process is done by hand with files and stones. Honing machines are rarely used on any instrument shorter than 12cm (4.7”). This ensures the least amount of metal is removed to refurbish an edge or tip, so the instrument retains a “like new” look and function. All work is done under a microscope.

Instrument Repair

Just about anything can be repaired or resharpened. If it cannot, the instrument will be returned at no charge. So it does not hurt to include questionable items with your order.

Be sure to fill out an order form to include with your order. Instruments are customized to best suit your animal model and magnification you use. Remember that smaller tips are more fragile.

Custom Instrument Modification

Instruments can be modified to fit other needs, like blunt flat tips for mouse laminectomies. Contact us at daron@corteinstruments.com for specific questions.

Click here for a map of ground shipping coverage.

Tip Sizes
Tip Size Width Depth Common Uses
A <10μ <10μ Adult drosophila, mosquitoes
B 10-20μ <10μ Microcirculation,<d5 mouse embryo
C 25-50μ 10μ Xenopus oocytes, fly larva
D (#5 biology tips) 50μ 10μ D6-10 mouse embryos
E 50-75μ 10-20μ Zebrafish, >d11 mouse embryos
F (Standard tips) 100μ 50μ Adult mouse/rat tissue
G >150μ >50μ General use at no magnifation

Testimonials

L.P., Genentech

[The] forceps you sharpened for me look GREAT! Thanks. I had almost forgotten how nice they could look.



C.G., U Alabama

[We] received the scissors today. I really appreciate your only charging us for the good ones. I feel, however, that you are not charging enough for your efforts. Thank you and we will be sending you more. The staff continue[s] to tell me they are just as good as new ones.



N.H., UC Davis

I will definitely send mine your way in the future. I just used a pair you sharpened for E14 mouse embryos yesterday. They worked great.



S.C., U North Carolina

We received the sharpened forceps and got to test them out. They are wonderful! Thanks so much for taking the time to fix the really bad ones. That saves us a ton of money.



M.G., U Washington

Again, thanks for being so flexible and quick… we really appreciate it. We've used other sources for sharpening around here, but no one does as nice as job as you. So thanks again!



C.K., U Washington

Thank you for doing a terrific job- it is a pleasure doing business with you.

Ordering

PO Order Form
Credit Card Order Form

Please take the time to fill out a printable order form and send it with your instruments to:

Corte Instruments
1448 NE Mable Ct
Bend, OR 97701

Check the calendar for a conflict with a quick turnaround

Repair Schedule

Included are dates when Daron is out of the office. If you are shipping an order and need a quick turn around, contact us to inquire about current turn around. Instruments are typically repaired within a week.

Dates Metro Area Affiliate Details
July 23-24 Out of Office
July 29-31 Out of Office
Aug1-31 Too much stuff coming in Expect 2-3 week backlog
Sep1-30 Slowly getting better Expect 7-10 day backlog

Contact Us

Corte Instruments
1448 NE Mable Ct
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: 541.390.3622

Email: daron@corteinstruments.com

Business Hours:7am-4pm Pacific Time Monday - Friday