VINTAGE

*LANDERS FRARY & CLARK*

FLEAM KNIFE

OR

INK ERASER 

EBONY WOOD HANDLE

WITH

SILVER TONED COLLAR

USED

6" O.A.L.

Universal Cutlery manufactured Knives from 1852 - 1912 when the factory was acquired by 

"Landers, Frary & Clark"

They remodeled the plant and added many new patterns, Landers Frary & Clark made many fighting knives for the military and quite a few Mess Hall knives along with Medical Instruments since 1862.

TANG STAMP

CURVED

"LANDERS FRARY & CLARK"

(NO COUNTRY STAMP)

PRE AETNA WORKS

The Curved Landers Frary & Clark Tang Stamp with no Country stamped on the Ricaso Dates this knife as best I can Tell to 1888 and that comes directly from an image in the

"GOINS ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CUTLERY MARKINGS"

Pg. 162

That's all I could find on this company in that Knife Collector's Book but I do know that before the 1890 Mckinley Tariff the Country of manufacture was not on many knives. 

So You Landers Frary & Clark Collectors will have to sort this one out.

IT'S OLD

It measures 6" O.A.L. and the blade appears full and has a beautiful darkened Patina which is common with Hardened Carbon Steel and the Wood (Ebony) handle and Collar which is a silver tone appears to be tight, whether or not it's original or not to the full tang Fleam/Ink Eraser Knife I'm not sure of but Ebony was a wood being used during these times.

 As you'll read below it could have been used for a wide variety of medical and or office procedures and by a vast array of different groups of Medical Personnel, Barbers and even the everyday common Veterinarian and even US Cavalry Field Surgeons and or early Medics. 

The actual practice of  bleeding procedures will actually date back to the Midevil Times as you'll learn if you do a little research on 

"The Practice of Bleeding"

The Wood Handle is believed by many to be Ebony, I can't verify this one way or the other

A lot of these types of Medical Items were simply Very Early Medical Quackery but they were most certainly used on our battle fields and hospitals and veterinary practices and were part of a some US Field Doctors kits from what I've researched but whether or not this was or was not used during a War remains a mystery and most certainly can't be verified.

HERE'S A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEM USES AND NAMES USED FOR IT OVER THE YEARS

 It was most commonly called a fleam (Lancet) Knife, also called a Flem Knife, Flew Knife, Flue Knife, Fleame, or Phlegm Knife and sometimes referred to as a Ink Eraser, was a handheld instrument Formerly used in Phlebotomy which was until the mid 19th Century the practice of bloodletting for Hot Moist Wet Diseases in the Veterinarian Medicine and Human Medicine by Surgeons and Barbers who specialized in the practice. Most of this early Bloodletting Practice would end by the 20th Century (1900) around the world and was declared Quackery. The early Practice of Bloodletting seemed logical when the foundation of all medical treatment at the time was based on the four body humors: Blood, Phlegm, Yellow Bile & Black Bile. Health was thought to be restored by Purging,Starving and Vomiting with the practice of Bloodletting. However this early Medical Instrument is still being used for the practice of Lancing wounds and raised Soar's still exists in some form or fashion. The Ink Eraser Portion of this was exactly what it implies, they would Scratch away writing with it, usually some type of Ink. I suppose it could be used as either.

THIS PIECE IS A RARITY FOR SURE