A hand-held manual surgical instrument designed to cut/dissect a variety of tissues during open surgery and having no dedication to a specific anatomy or clinical use; it might in addition be intended for cutting materials associated with surgery (e.g., sutures). It is comprised of two pivoted shearing blades with handles, whereby the blades cut as the sharpened edges pass one another as they are closed; some types may have blades that cross over to expose a sharp edge for slicing tissue like a scalpel. It is typically made of metal and is available in various designs and sizes, and some types can have carbide inserts along the cutting edges. This is a single-use device.