My thoughts on American Eagle’s Talon Tough (TT) instruments after 3 months of use.

These are my workhorses. The popular BlackJack and the Barhart 5/6 Universal. I like keeping things simple.

These are my workhorses. The popular BlackJack scaler and the Barhart 5/6 Universal curet. I like keeping things simple.  Pictured are the Talon Tough (TT) versions.

American Eagle XP Technology
I’ve been a big fan of American Eagle’s XP instruments since I started using them about 3 years ago.  What makes the XP instruments so great is that they require NO SHARPENING for the life of the instrument.  Yes, you heard me correct, no sharpening, and that’s no BS.  My XP instruments were lasting about 12-13 months and I never sharpened them once!  The XP technology is a true game changer, but like most things in this world, nothing is perfect.

The One Negative of XP Technology
The only real negative of the XP instruments, though it’s a relatively minor one in my opinion, is that they require more delicate handling.  If you do not handle them correctly, corrosion may form on the metal.  Unfortunately, my work environment made it difficult, if not impossible, to ensure that my instruments (I buy my own instruments) were handled correctly, and guess what, they were not for two main reasons.  One, I work in a large, fast paced environment with a lot of people and a lot of turnover, which makes it difficult to ensure everyone knows to, and will, treat “Mark’s gold instruments” in a special way.  Two, we use small Statim autoclaves, which are not ideal for cassettes at all, and in my opinion, XP instruments need to be in cassettes.  So because of this I needed to make a switch.

Switching to American Eagle’s Talon Tough (TT) Instruments
I decided to switch to American Eagle’s Talon Tough (TT) stainless steel instruments, which unlike the XP instruments, do require periodic sharpening.  I’ve been using the TT instruments for about 3 months now and so far they are performing very well.  The handles feel great.  They are light and balanced.  The cutting edge is fantastic.  I’ve only had to sharpen them twice so far, but to be fair, part of that is because I ultrasonic scale A LOT, and try to only fine scale with hand instruments.  But with that said, the TT instruments are holding their edge longer than I had expected.  How do they compare to other leading brands?  Well, I can only compare them to the brands that I have a lot of experience with, which are PDT and Hu-Friedy EverEdge.  Both PDT and Hu-Friedy make excellent instruments, but in my opinion, American Eagle’s TT instruments seem to be a little bit better overall.

Typical prices
PDT = $29-$30 each
American Eagle TT = $33-$34 each
Hu-Friedy EverEdge = $38-$39 each

Conclusion
It’s been 3 months since I’ve used my XP instruments and I miss them dearly : (, but the TT instruments have been a pretty good replacement, but to be fair, you can’t really compare XP instruments with standard stainless steel instruments.  XP instruments are in a category all by themselves.  They are a true game changer in hand instrument technology.  Comparing XP instruments to stainless steel instruments is like comparing apples to oranges, so if we only compare oranges, as we should, American Eagle Instruments, in my experience, makes the best orange, and they are also happen to be the only company that makes apples!  If you are currently in the market for stainless steel instruments that require periodic sharpening, check out American Eagle’s Talon Tough (TT) instruments.  They’re really good.

Links
http://am-eagle.com/products/talon-tough
http://www.practicon.com/category/200/america-eagle-instruments

Mark Frias, RDH

My cat Pepsi decided to get into one of the photos : ).

My cat Pepsi decided to get into one of the photos : ).

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