Quote Originally Posted by welshwizard View Post
I don't think the blade is quite the right design for a fleam. Uncomfortably, I think barber-surgeons used fleams on human animals.
Maybe someone just made it as a one-off , to do a particular job, long since forgotten.
I'd already discounted my fleam idea in post 17, above. A great many fleams were (and still are) used for animals however - just google 'veterinary fleam.'

It seems that blood-letting was all the rage once, what with cupping jars, fleams, scarificators, lancets, leeches and so on. It is less in evidence today among humans (proper surgeons still use it for the treatment of a few rare illnesses) , but vets still routinely practice it.

Regards,
Neil