diff --git a/code/game/objects/items.dm b/code/game/objects/items.dm
index 5653c29f1b4..e32338540d2 100644
--- a/code/game/objects/items.dm
+++ b/code/game/objects/items.dm
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 	name = "item"
 	icon = 'icons/obj/items.dmi'
 	var/item_state = null
-	var/inhand_type = "items"
+	var/lefthand_file = 'icons/mob/inhands/items_lefthand.dmi'
+	var/righthand_file = 'icons/mob/inhands/items_righthand.dmi'
 	var/hitsound = null
 	var/throwhitsound = null
 	var/w_class = 3.0
diff --git a/code/modules/admin/verbs/BrokenInhands.dm b/code/modules/admin/verbs/BrokenInhands.dm
index eb9db2b9870..e9122e9516a 100644
--- a/code/modules/admin/verbs/BrokenInhands.dm
+++ b/code/modules/admin/verbs/BrokenInhands.dm
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 	for(var/A in typesof(/obj/item))
 		var/obj/item/O = new A( locate(1,1,1) )
 		if(!O) continue
-		var/icon/IL = new(file("icons/mob/inhands/[O.inhand_type]_lefthand.dmi"))
+		var/icon/IL = new(O.lefthand_file)
 		var/list/Lstates = IL.IconStates()
-		var/icon/IR = new(file("icons/mob/inhands/[O.inhand_type]_righthand.dmi"))
+		var/icon/IR = new(O.righthand_file)
 		var/list/Rstates = IR.IconStates()
 		var/icon/J = new(O.icon)
 		var/list/istates = J.IconStates()
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/alien/humanoid/update_icons.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/alien/humanoid/update_icons.dm
index 713f37141ff..7f0418c5faa 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/alien/humanoid/update_icons.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/alien/humanoid/update_icons.dm
@@ -74,12 +74,11 @@
 
 /mob/living/carbon/alien/humanoid/update_inv_r_hand(update_icons = 1)
 	if(r_hand)
-		var/t_type = r_hand.inhand_type
 		var/t_state = r_hand.item_state
 		if(!t_state)
 			t_state = r_hand.icon_state
 		r_hand.screen_loc = ui_rhand
-		overlays_standing[X_R_HAND_LAYER]	= image("icon" = file("icons/mob/inhands/[t_type]_righthand.dmi"), "icon_state" = t_state)
+		overlays_standing[X_R_HAND_LAYER]	= image("icon" = r_hand.righthand_file, "icon_state" = t_state)
 	else
 		overlays_standing[X_R_HAND_LAYER]	= null
 	if(update_icons)
@@ -87,12 +86,11 @@
 
 /mob/living/carbon/alien/humanoid/update_inv_l_hand(update_icons = 1)
 	if(l_hand)
-		var/t_type = l_hand.inhand_type
 		var/t_state = l_hand.item_state
 		if(!t_state)
 			t_state = l_hand.icon_state
 		l_hand.screen_loc = ui_lhand
-		overlays_standing[X_L_HAND_LAYER]	= image("icon" = file("icons/mob/inhands/[t_type]_lefthand.dmi"), "icon_state" = t_state)
+		overlays_standing[X_L_HAND_LAYER]	= image("icon" = l_hand.lefthand_file, "icon_state" = t_state)
 	else
 		overlays_standing[X_L_HAND_LAYER]	= null
 	if(update_icons)
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/update_icons.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/update_icons.dm
index 410fb5f99fa..4894572e2fc 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/update_icons.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/human/update_icons.dm
@@ -536,11 +536,10 @@ Please contact me on #coderbus IRC. ~Carnie x
 		if(client)
 			client.screen += r_hand
 
-		var/t_type = r_hand.inhand_type
 		var/t_state = r_hand.item_state
 		if(!t_state)	t_state = r_hand.icon_state
 
-		overlays_standing[R_HAND_LAYER] = image("icon"=file("icons/mob/inhands/[t_type]_righthand.dmi"), "icon_state"="[t_state]", "layer"=-R_HAND_LAYER)
+		overlays_standing[R_HAND_LAYER] = image("icon" = r_hand.righthand_file, "icon_state"="[t_state]", "layer"=-R_HAND_LAYER)
 
 	apply_overlay(R_HAND_LAYER)
 
@@ -556,11 +555,10 @@ Please contact me on #coderbus IRC. ~Carnie x
 		if(client)
 			client.screen += l_hand
 
-		var/t_type = l_hand.inhand_type
 		var/t_state = l_hand.item_state
 		if(!t_state)	t_state = l_hand.icon_state
 
-		overlays_standing[L_HAND_LAYER] = image("icon"=file("icons/mob/inhands/[t_type]_lefthand.dmi"), "icon_state"="[t_state]", "layer"=-L_HAND_LAYER)
+		overlays_standing[L_HAND_LAYER] = image("icon" = l_hand.lefthand_file, "icon_state"="[t_state]", "layer"=-L_HAND_LAYER)
 
 	apply_overlay(L_HAND_LAYER)
 
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/monkey/update_icons.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/monkey/update_icons.dm
index 03520ebfa49..bcdbbb6b633 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/monkey/update_icons.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/carbon/monkey/update_icons.dm
@@ -58,11 +58,10 @@
 		r_hand.screen_loc = ui_rhand
 		if(client && hud_used)
 			client.screen += r_hand
-		var/t_type = r_hand.inhand_type
 		var/t_state = r_hand.item_state
 		if(!t_state)	t_state = r_hand.icon_state
 		overlays -= overlays_standing[M_R_HAND_LAYER]
-		overlays_standing[M_R_HAND_LAYER]	= image("icon" = file("icons/mob/inhands/[t_type]_righthand.dmi"), "icon_state" = t_state, "layer" = -M_R_HAND_LAYER)
+		overlays_standing[M_R_HAND_LAYER]	= image("icon" = r_hand.righthand_file, "icon_state" = t_state, "layer" = -M_R_HAND_LAYER)
 		overlays += overlays_standing[M_R_HAND_LAYER]
 	else
 		overlays -= overlays_standing[M_R_HAND_LAYER]
@@ -78,11 +77,10 @@
 		l_hand.screen_loc = ui_lhand
 		if(client && hud_used)
 			client.screen += l_hand
-		var/t_type = l_hand.inhand_type
 		var/t_state = l_hand.item_state
 		if(!t_state)	 t_state = l_hand.icon_state
 		overlays -= overlays_standing[M_L_HAND_LAYER]
-		overlays_standing[M_L_HAND_LAYER]	= image("icon" = file("icons/mob/inhands/[t_type]_lefthand.dmi"), "icon_state" = t_state, "layer" = -M_L_HAND_LAYER)
+		overlays_standing[M_L_HAND_LAYER]	= image("icon" = l_hand.lefthand_file, "icon_state" = t_state, "layer" = -M_L_HAND_LAYER)
 		overlays += overlays_standing[M_L_HAND_LAYER]
 	else
 		overlays -= overlays_standing[M_L_HAND_LAYER]
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/friendly/drone.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/friendly/drone.dm
index c0e65360f6f..875c95ffbe5 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/friendly/drone.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/simple_animal/friendly/drone.dm
@@ -418,12 +418,11 @@
 	remove_overlay(HANDS_LAYER)
 	var/list/hands_overlays = list()
 	if(r_hand)
-		var/r_type = r_hand.inhand_type
 		var/r_state = r_hand.item_state
 		if(!r_state)
 			r_state = r_hand.icon_state
 
-		hands_overlays += image("icon"=file("icons/mob/inhands/[r_type]_righthand.dmi"), "icon_state"="[r_state]", "layer"=-HANDS_LAYER)
+		hands_overlays += image("icon" = r_hand.righthand_file, "icon_state"="[r_state]", "layer"=-HANDS_LAYER)
 
 		if(client && hud_used)
 			r_hand.layer = 20
@@ -431,12 +430,11 @@
 			client.screen |= r_hand
 
 	if(l_hand)
-		var/l_type = l_hand.inhand_type
 		var/l_state = l_hand.item_state
 		if(!l_state)
 			l_state = l_hand.icon_state
 
-		hands_overlays += image("icon"=file("icons/mob/inhands/[l_type]_lefthand.dmi"), "icon_state"="[l_state]", "layer"=-HANDS_LAYER)
+		hands_overlays += image("icon" = l_hand.lefthand_file, "icon_state"="[l_state]", "layer"=-HANDS_LAYER)
 
 		if(client && hud_used)
 			l_hand.layer = 20