Skin grafting scissors with case, Europe, 1896-1905

Skin grafting scissors, in case, c.1900

Scissors, like this nickel-plated steel pair, were used to cut skin from one part of the body to replace severely damaged skin in another part. However, the thickness of the skin cut depended on the skill of the surgeon. Skin-grafting is a type of surgery carried out in hospitals to treat burns and other injuries or to replace skin lost during operations.

Often referred to as plastic surgery, these techniques were greatly advanced in the twentieth century, especially during and after the Second World War.