Crosscut saw into the wood. Many sawtooth patterns have four cutters; each cutter that cuts to the left of the blade is paired with another that cuts to the right of the blade. Adjacent to the cutters there is generally a raker. The void on either side of the raker is known as the gullet. A raker is what does the actual removal of the wood that is being cut. The raker follows the cutters, paring the bottom of the kerf like a chisel or plane. As the raker pares the bottom of the kerf, a strip of wood is lifted upward,
Fleam Early craftsmen often varied the number of blades, the types of materials used for the bolsters, and the types of instruments included in the bolster for patient care. Pictured to the right is a three-blade fleam with a horn handle made in Scotland by the Sanderson craftsmen. This piece has a thumb lancet in one shield of the bolster and a thumb forceps in the other. Controversy exists among collectors of antique surgical instruments that these types of fleams were made with the lancet so that rural families could bleed the animals and family members alike. Although there are descriptions