Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First let me state that I'm a nurse in a very busy hospital in a very large city (4th largest city in the USA). I'm also a former US Army combat medic and an EMT (in the civilian world). I was an EMT for several years even before enlisting in the Army. So, I know a little bit about using these kind of tools on a regular basis. I'm going to try to provide as much detail as possible on this kit. The penlight (it's not a flashlight) is adequate. I specify that this is a penlight and not a flashlight for 2 reasons. First, medical professionals don't call the small handheld lights that are used to check pupil response "flashlights"; we call them penlights (notice the resemblance to a pen). Second (and the reason for the first) is because the penlight is not designed to light an AREA (like a flashlight is); it's designed to be rather dim to allow you to check patients' pupil response without being so bright as to cause pain or damage to the eye. You cannot replace the batteries in this penlight because the body is all one piece. It's disposable. When the batteries die, toss it out and get another one. The light is made in China. The pouch is a thin Cordura material with a 1 inch wide Velcro strap. The strap can really only secure the trauma shears (the large scissors) in the kit. The other tools could still fall out and be lost with the strap fastened. Many have complained that the pouch is poor quality. I don't know, personally, since I don't use the pouch. I carry the tools in various pockets in my scrubs. For those who want to use the pouch, there is a belt loop on the back that can accommodate a 2 inch belt. The belt loop fastens with both Velcro and a snap. The case is made in China. The tools are all stainless steel and are made in Pakistan. In the hospital where I work, all the tools in all our wound care kits and surgical kits are stainless steel made in Pakistan. The tendency of the inexperienced might be to assume these are cheap, inferior tools because they are made in Pakistan but I can vouch for the fact that many of these types of tools used by medical professionals everyday are made in Pakistan. Granted, the tools that come in those sterile kits are intended to be used once then discarded; however, that is for infection control purposes and not because the tools are flimsy. Many nurses keep the tools, sterilize them, and add them to their own gear. The tools last for a very long time. This kit is inexpensive because the tools are mass produced and packed in sterile wound care kits and surgical kits and shipped around the world. The difference between the professional hospital tools and this kit is the black, subdued finish on the tools. They took a few of the tools mass produced for sale to hospitals around the world, baked on a non-reflective black coating and market it as some sort of "tactical" med kit. I can see a use for having medical tools with subdued finish in a high-risk, tactical environment where light discipline is an absolute necessity to survival; however, for the rest of you...it just looks "cool" and you think it makes you look high-speed (if you don't know what that term means, then you ain't high-speed). I think this kit is marketed toward silly "grown-boys" with survivalist fantasies and EMTs who want to pretend they have a use for some subdued medical tools. Truth be told, if you are an EMT working the streets, having a subdued black finish on your tools just increases the likelihood that you will loose a tool in the dark somewhere. Unless you're a SWAT medic, you probably don't really need tools with a subdued finish. If you actually are a SWAT medic, you probably still don't need medical tools with a subdued finish; though, I can see why you may since you don't want any reflective surfaces on your uniform. If your in the military and you're in a unit that gets tasked with the kind of missions that would require this, you already know that your Uncle Sam will provide you with the tools you need. Probably the worst thing about this subdued finish on these medical tools is that all the other wannabes are going to be "borrowing" them and trying to steal them from you (so don't set them down!). So why did I buy these? I bought this kit because this was the least expensive kit that I could find with all these tools in it. That's one reason that I will recommend this kit. I had trauma shears and when I assisted a urologist in replacing a suprapubic catheter in an individual, I set the shears down near a sink and foolishly forgot to pick them up before leaving the room. They were promptly stolen. As a busy nurse in a busy hospital, scissor and/or shears are indispensible. I use them for removing wound dressings, cutting tape, opening medication packages, trimming ostomy waffers, etc. so living without them is very difficult and time consuming. I had to find a replacement. I didn't find another kit with all these tools in it for a good price. So I bought this one and I tolerate the baked on black finish. As far as the finish is concerned, I'm not sure how these will hold up to autoclaving. It's possible that the level of heat involved in sterilization would damage or remove the finish. It's baked on so I doubt it (but I don't know for sure). There is nothing in the advertisement nor any markings on the tools to indicate that the finish can withstand autoclaving. The one exception is the trauma shears (the "large scissors" to you laymen). The handle of the trauma shears clearly states 143C/290F autoclave. I'm fairly certain; however, that those markings pertain to the plastic handles and not the baked on finish. So with that in mind, rubbing alcohol can be used to clean these tools as can 10% bleach water (which is probably best). Of course, you can also use PDI Super Sani-Cloth Germicidal Disposable Wipes - 6" x 6.75" - Model Q55172 - Can of 160 which is what we use in the hospitals. So how does the finish effect the use? Well, honestly, when brand new the tools feel a bit stiff. They aren't so stiff that they are difficult to use; however, you can feel a difference between these and a stainless steel set with no finish on them. As the finish near the hinges wears a bit, they break in. When they are new, the tools arrive sharp and have no trouble cutting. The fit and finish of these tools is on the level with tools that are regularly supplied to us in wound care kits and surgical kits. Of course, I don't want to charge a patient for a kit everytime I need some scissors so I elected to buy my own tools. The bandage scissors are tight and sharp, though the finish makes them slightly stiff feeling. Once they become loose, there is a standard screw at the hinge which can be tightened to make them cut just as well as when new. The bandage scissors are 5.5" long. The blades are 1.5" long. The finger holes in the handles are slightly oblong and are approximately 1" ID (inside diameter). The trauma shears are sharp enough but they aren't the best I've used. Only one side of the shears in this kit have a saw-tooth blade, the other side is a smooth edge. I prefer to have both sides saw-tooth as they chew through clothing and thick bandages better. The trauma shears are 7.5" at their longest. The blades are 2.5" long (only 1 blade has a saw tooth edge). The handles have one 1.5" ID thumb grip and one 2.125"x 1.125" oblong finger grip. I can comfortably fit 2 of my fingers in the finger grip. The handles are standard size and unless you have giant hands, you shouldn't have any trouble holding and using the shears. The shears are riveted together so once the hinge becomes loose, they have to go in the trash. The hemostats (the locking, pliars-like "clamps") are tight and the surfaces of each side meet up quite well. They are definitely tight enough to do what they were intended to do (which is clamp an artery closed to keep the patient from bleeding to death). Hopefully, you'll never have to use them for that purpose, but that's OK because honestly, these tools have 1,000 uses. They are slightly over 5.5" long. The working surfaces are 1.125" long with ribbing on distal 0.75" ends (from the tip to 0.75" back toward the hinge). The tweezers are quite long (4.5 inches) and have a very narrow, sharp point. The ends match up tightly so grabbing that splinter or small piece of whatever, shouldn't been much of a problem. Overall, for the price and the number of tools that you get, I'm happy with this. If I lost it (or more likely, if it was stolen) I would certainly buy another one.