Item B11 - D. Simal (Belgium) Surgeon’s Brace. 

This quite ornate and eye-catching surgeon’s brace was made by the firm of D. Simal in Gembloux, Belgium.  The firm was founded by Dieudonné Simal about 1852.  After establishing rapport with French surgeons in France, he returned to Gembloux to make surgical tools primarily for the French market.  This handsome brace is nickel plated steel, likely produced after the advent of sterilization, but before the use of stainless steel, about 1890 to 1900, I’d say.  The brace has a unique changeable chuck, with a screw lock form to accept round shanked bits, that unlocks to a more traditional chuck that takes square tapered shanks with notched tangs.  There is some loss of nickel plating on the lower bow and spindle, but it remains an attractive and unusual brace for a collection.  This sort of brace is sometimes known as a trepanning brace, for boring holes in the skull to relieve pressure created by sudural bleeding caused by accidents or injury.  Good+

 

 

     

Price -  $217.50

To order, email sushandel@msn.com

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