Singer Surgical Instrument A3 - 1941
Hey folks,
I posted a comment about this in another thread and then put some pics up in "Photos", but I am getting a bunch of questions so i figured I should start a thread..
This is a Singer Surgical Instrument Model A3 - right handed, steel handle.
There was also a left handed version A$ (Which I am looking for as a Lefty myself)
Both versions were available with steel or a Bakelite(plastic) handle.
Later they made a more compact version A11
ISMACS Database listing for the A3 says "Singer surgical stitching instrument (for right-handed use). Hand-held, sprung needle holder with thread dispenser (comes ready-wound with suture material); bakelite or stainless steel handle. Needle can be set at 7 angles, in 45 degree increments. The manual is a lesson in surgery “… its flexibility and ease of manipulation simplify the formation of many new continuous and interrupted stitches. Its usefulness is limited only by the ingenuity of the surgeon.” Thanks to Linda Winkens for providing this information and pictures."
The one I just won was issued to an Army Doctor in Alaska during WWII