Writing and Erasing

 Writing in ink pen is a tricky task if you are not fully sure of some fact or the correct spelling of a word. Now we have white-out and such, but in the early days, one would require the use of an "ink scraper blade". 

This image courtesy of Knife Magazine. The accompanying text describes "A short, double-edged, (usually) non-folding blade on the end of a long tang in a wood or ivory handle, used to “erase” ink by scraping it from parchment, vellum, and paper. Often sold as “Civil War scalpels.” The style that is like a short dagger is, without its handle, sometimes sold to the unsuspecting as a “trade arrowhead”. Caveat emptor." This description probably explains why these are sometimes called "bleeder knives" on resale websites. 

This example of an ink scraper/eraser was an item that came down to me in my gorgeous Colonial Manufacturing secretary desk. Some treasures lived in it as long as I can remember, as storage, and though they probably do not all belong there, I keep them together. This item clearly belongs in a writing desk! 

The sheath comes from Joseph Rogers & Sons of Sheffield, England. It is clearly mismatched, which means there were likely two scrapers at one point.  Rogers and Sons was a pre-eminent knife-maker, starting business in 1724, and being in possession of an excellent reputation of craftsmanship (link). Their items were made under their name until the 1970s or 80s and are now under a different trade name. 

The scraper knife itself has a spear-shaped point and a Rosewood (I think!) handle. Both show significant signs of wear, with sharpening evident on the blade, and much shine and wear on the thin part of the handle, which I think was for smoothing the writing surface back down after scraping it. 

The Miller Brothers started a pocket-knife company in Meriden, CT in 1863:  today it is known as "CutCo". They branched out into pen nibs, but faced stiff competition from their superior English counterparts, until the US government imposed tariffs that made the sale of US-made goods more appealing to local consumers (link). This source suggests the eraser with the Rosewood handle was listed in Miller's catalog starting in 1895, and that previously they had only sold scrapers with bone handles. (As the link to the museum is defunct I can't say if this is correct. Perhaps it is just a sample from that year)

As for dating the scraper, I am not sure. That previous link only suggests to me the scraper was available in that year, not necessarily that it was the first year they were available. This document states that the company was incorporated in 1870 and moved to Wallingford, CT. Then, by 1872, needed to expand again to Meriden, CT (link). This piece has a hallmark that clearly says "Miller Bros" in a curve over the lines "Out of Meriden". So it would be a post 1872 piece. 

The methods practiced and perfected by Miller Brothers, especially mass-producing stamped blades, and attaching them to handles with rivets, so revolutionized the knife industry that they had a hand in putting hand-forged blade makers out of business (link). By 1926, however, they discontinued their knife production and focused solely on steel pens (link). Reading these historical perspectives is interesting, I had a little giggle at the discussion of tariffs to "protect from foreign cutlery". Watch out for those spoons!

I can't say which relative(s) may have owned or used this item. All were literate and maintained correspondence with family. Many lived in the Eastern seaboard around the time this object would have been made and sold, so possibly moved out West with them. Most likely this would have been a Post ancestor rather than Green, as the Green patriarch came to Washington from England via California with no pause on the East coast, as far as I can tell. The Post side includes the ancestor who owned the secretary desk where the item was kept(Rev Henry Attwell Post), so perhaps it belonged to him as well.