Microsurgical knife with locking blade guard

A blade protective arrangement comprising, in combination:

• a microsurgical knife including an elongate knife body, a cutting blade extending from a forward end of the knife body and a sleeve slidably received around said knife body and formed with a bore therethrough for receiving the knife body;
• and means for locking said sleeve to said knife body in a blade covering position, said locking means including a locking tab means formed on the knife body in the forward end thereof and a longitudinal slot extending from a front portion of the sleeve and including a terminal end and a notch extending circumferentially from the terminal end of the slot, said sleeve including an inner diameter and a forward opening dimensioned in relation to the outer diameter of the knife body and the height of the tab, for mounting in protective locking engagement with said knife body by inserting the rear end of the knife body through the forward opening in the front portion of the sleeve and sliding the sleeve towards the forward end so that the locking tab engages the slot and thereupon the terminal end thereof, and rotating the sleeve so that said tab enters the locking notch, said locking tab means being the sole locking structure provided on the knife body and said sleeve being removable by sliding it towards and off of the rear end of the knife body, said sleeve being lockable on said body only in a position engaging said locking tab means.