A shaft assembly that has a flexible shaft and a series of alternating rigid beads around the flexible shaft that ensure the shaft is kept rigid while in any position when the shaft is locked. The flexible shaft having a proximal end that is operatively coupled to the handle assembly and a distal end that operatively coupled to the gripping assembly. The shaft assembly also has a rigid element that can be placed in a first position where the rigid element supports the shaft in a manner where the shaft cannot be bent, and in a second position where the shaft can be bent. The series of alternating beads is made up of an alternating series of 2 types of beads.