I have noticed many times that a replacement scalpel blade is preferred over a razor blade on this forum. Why is this?

I don't know about the thinking of others but IMHO the scalpel blades are simply a generally more usable shape. The scalpel blades have enough of a point to allow fine work and poking holes and enough curvature to allow them to be used to scrape a skin or perform similar tasks without the corners catching and poking holes.

Then again I usually tend to prefer to slip in a tiny, but good quality, pocketknife rather than worry about raw blades like scalpel or razor blades. A pocket knife has a handle, I have sliced myself pretty well using a razor blade, and integral sheath attached which makes them a lot handier and safer to use. Even a small pocket knife is a lot tougher than the bare blades, which tend to snap with fairly slight lateral pressure.

About the only thing that the bare blades have going for them is that they are very compact, light and sharp. They and will hide in a belt, wallet or buried in the sole of a shoe and they are literally shaving sharp.

IMHO, the scalpel blade is made for more critical tasks compared to a razor blade. Hence, better quality control.

Personally, I like the way it attaches to the handle - much more reliable blade fixation than with any Exacto razor blades.

That's probably because scapel blades are easier to obtain. Single edge razor blades are something of a speciality item. There are also space and volume considerations.

Having said that: scalpel blades can be easily attached to a bit of whatever to make a small, usable knife.

One other option worth considering is the Derma-Shave razor. They also come as a small hacksaw blade. Slightly large than a scaple blade but much better.

http://www.donrearic.com/airman.htm

They are still made and obtainable on E-Bay.

i had a look at the link to don/airman and the survival kit there and was wondering if these kits were put together with feedback from pilots and GI's who really had survival situations and when debriefed said something like "if we had a -----it would have been better" or it was just a bunch of stuff that some study group thought would be handy?-

Scalpel blades without the handle are harder to hold onto and easier to lose than single-edge razor blades. And the style of the blade can make a difference, depending on what you intend using it for.

Sue