Corkscrews

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:53 pm

Does anyone else collect corkscrews? Here is a little display I created. This includes a variety of folding bow type corkscrews, a couple of Georgian pocket corkscrews (the two horizontal in sheaths) and some simple cellarman types. If you would like to see more, please let me know.

s-k

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:23 pm

very cool s-k. those are some nice "vintage" wine tools. i would like to see more.

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:16 pm

Very well done display...

You keep my eye screwing all over the display.

You are showing use your talant again.

If I was younger I would start saveing the CORKS ...

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:29 pm

Thank-you Johnnie and Ken. Here are some more from my collection. These are simple direct pull types with wood handles. The ones at 3:00 and 9:00 have a Henshall type button at the bottom of the shank. The The reverend Samuel Henshall designed a corksrew with this button in 1795. I've shown the underside in pic two. The bottom of the button has ridges which grip the cork and thus break the seal between cork and bottle. This makes the cork much easier to extract. Original marked Henshall corkscrews are extremely rare. If interested, I have many more different varieties to show. Please let me know if you have any questions.

s-k

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:36 pm

very cool s-k. what a great collection. if you have more i would love to see em! i suppose those with brushes are for brushing away the "hair of the dog"

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:45 pm

Thanks Johnnie. The brushes for dusting off the bottles when brought from the cellar. A few more straight-pulls. Two with stag handles, one with a turned bone handle and one with a tusk handle. It might be boar or walrus... not sure. In the middle is a American Made William Bennit's marked Pat. May 15th 1883. The 'bell' grips the top of the bottle and continual turning of the screw raises the cork with out the need to apply upward force. It does require a little effort to finish the job. s-k

Gunsmoke47 · Post by **Gunsmoke47** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:49 pm

Very cool SK!

My wife is a wino (God love her)

and she will love these when she gets home from work!

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:59 pm

Very cool s-k...

I don't collect the older ones, I seem to have alot of newer ones (

), but those are certainly some of the nicest older ones I've ever seen in one collection.

Here is my trusty EDC, it's a shame they quit making it, IMO...

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:54 am

Thanks guys. Here are a few more. Misc figures including pixies and imps etc. Later today I'll post some different mechanical varieties.

s-k

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:16 pm

El Lobo, I like your edc

. I have one similar somewhere. I'll have a look.

These are known as Lazy Tongs or Concertina corkscrews. They still require effort on the part of the user but the multiple levers increase the pulling power. The two in the top row are English. The top right Weir's 1884 patent made by James Healey & Sons of Birmingham. Healeys was one of the famous Victorian corkscrew manufacturers. The top left is an example of H. D. Armstrongs 1902 patent. The bottom three are French. From left to right; the Perfect (c1920s), the ZigZag (c1950s) and the Debouchtout (c1930s). The latter two both have crown cap openers also. You may have seen a popular modern version of this style called the Lazy Fish.

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:13 pm

I just want to say I am ENJOYING this a hole lot.

If you see a YELLOW one I will buy her from you....

gmusic · Post by **gmusic** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:39 pm

Very nice S-K!

sunburst · Post by **sunburst** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 12:29 am

Those corkscrews are simply outstanding SK...First Class!!!!! I don't know much if anything about collecting corkscrews so please tell me, are they expensive?? Or do they make a more affordable hobby...?

Sunburst

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 3:07 am

sunburst wrote:Those corkscrews are simply outstanding SK...First Class!!!!! I don't know much if anything about collecting corkscrews so please tell me, are they expensive?? Or do they make a more affordable hobby...?

Sunburst

It sounds like someone is looking for a less expensive hobby than knives.

If we all make that switch, the value of corkscrews will skyrocket and S-K will be a rich man!

Well.....AAC (All About Corkscrews) just doesn't have the ring to it that AAPK does.

Nice collection Steve! Those are really interesting, but I think I will stick to my Hawkbills, TL-29s, Barlows, Schrades, and Camillus, and Kershaws, and, and, and.......

Maybe it would be cheaper to switch.

Dale

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 8:04 am

Thanks everyone for your comments. Like knives, one can spend as little or as much as one wants (can afford). Some sell for several $1000s. Overall, I'd say it is not a cheaper option. Ken, I'll look to see if I have an yellow one for you.

Anyway on with the show. Some more example of different attempts to minimise the effort on the part of the users. The German like to use springs. As the worm is inserted, the spring compresses and the tension assists in the drawing of the cork. The beehive one still works a treat. The frame on the Columbus in the middle opens for ease of removing the cork from the worm once extracted from the bottle. The next three are rack and pinion types. The top handle turned to insert the worm and the side handle for drawing it. The three from left to right are English, French and German. Note it looks likely that the brush on the right was lost and replaced with an artist brush at some point. Oh well.

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:42 pm

Frame corkscrews are relatively simple yet effective. The worm screws in until the frame grips the neck of the bottle. Further turning of the handle draws the cork up the worm and into the frame.

Photo1
The two on the left are English. The second form the left is The Surprise patent in 1884. The three on the right are German The Solon earlier 1900s and the other two nickel plated c1930s. These have small ball bearings at the top of the frame that facilitates a smooth turning motion.

Photo 2
Three of these are Italian and the one with the butterfly type wing-nut is English. The second from the right works similar to the previous frames. The other three require turning of the entire corkscrew to insert the worm and then turning the handle to draw the cork. Not the easiest to use but they look pretty.

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:39 am

The next installment....

Photo 1
A variety of designs that minimise the effort required. Moving form left to right.... The two on the left are English and have locking mechanisms. The locked handle is first used to insert the worm all the way into the cork. Then it is unlocked and more turning draws the cork. On the furthest left is Plants 1880 design with a sliding lock on top. Next is the Challenge (c1890s). It has a collar lock that rotates. Once the worm is inserted, the collar is rotated allowing the shaft to pass through the top and further turning draws the cork.

The middle is the 'Perpetual' patent by German Ernst Demmeler (1884). There are two set of criss-cross groves the length of the shaft and a pin inside the top of the frame. Turning the handle causes the pin to follow one groove to the bottom to insert the worm. When it reaches the bottom it crosses over to the other groves so that continual turning reverses the direction drawing the cork.

The two on the right are French. The inside right is an e.g. of A.M. Perille Paris (1876) patent. Turn the top handle to insert the worm and then turn the flynut, aka three- bladed propellor, to draw it. The furthest right, is Diamant again based on another Perille patent. The diamond faceted collar above the frame has an internal thread. Turning the handle inserts the worm until the notch on the bottom of the handle engages the slot in the top of the collar at which time further turning draws the cork.

Photo 2
In 1802 Birmingham inventor Edward Thomason received a patent for a mechanism that revolutionised the corkscrew. His design was the first to draw the cork in one continuous motion with little effort. It has two threaded shafts. The internal shaft above the worm has a right handed thread that mates with the inside of the external hollow shaft. The outside of the external shaft has a left-handed thread. Turning the handle lowers the inner shaft until the handle contacts the outer shaft. This engages the outer shaft and further turning raises the worm and draws the cork. These were made throughout the 1800s. Still works like a charm.

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:42 pm

I found this one but was gone on field-trip so I did not get her.

Rats if you see one more like this tell me please.

bill2000 · Post by **bill2000** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:21 pm

All these corkscrews are fantastic. God knows I can't afford another compulsive collection though so I'll resort to my favorite bottle opener below. Works especially well on those stubborn corks that won't budge.

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:39 pm

justold52 wrote:I found this one but was gone on field-trip so I did not get her.

Rats if you see one more like this tell me please.

Hi Ken, I will keep my eyes open. The legs are made in a variety of themes, e.g., fisherman, golfer, gardener, soccer player etc.

Bill yours will work fine on those stubborn corks. Unfortunately there tends to be alot of collateral damage also.

s-k

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:42 pm

Hmmmmm

Must be for "Popping" the cork...

One would think that might "agitate" the wine?

I just received a set of these from my brother. I know it is a bit of a reach for this thread, but I thought that s-k might find them at least interesting.

Bill

P. S.
Late again as usual. SIGH!

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:46 pm

One more major category... the levers.

Photo 1 & 2
In 1855 William Lund was granted a pentent for a two-piece, single-lever corkscrew. The first photo is an e.g. made by Lund of Fleet and Cornhill street London. Fairly simple but not the easiest to use. One inserts the worm by hand and then extracts it with the lever.

Photo 3
The double lever is very familiar to every wine drinker. The top one in this photo is my favourite corkscrew.... a 1880s James Heally A1. The right is the Magic Lever Cork Drawer. The patent for this was granted in 1897. This one is marked 'Pattent Appl For' so made before then. The other is somewhat of a mystery. It is of similar style to the Magic Lever. It is likely 1920s/30s one expert suggested American and another Spanish.

Photo 4
Three characters... 1950s Clown, 1970s Bugs Bunny and 2000s Homer...Doh!

Photo 5
Italian made Patent 1994 Anna G. and mate Alesandro... still available.

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:51 pm

El Lobo wrote:Hmmmmm

Must be for "Popping" the cork...
One would think that might "agitate" the wine?

I just received a set of these from my brother. I know it is a bit of a reach for this thread, but I thought that s-k might find them at least interesting.

Bill

P. S.
Late again as usual. SIGH!

Hi El Lobo. Thanks for your contribution. Yes... for grasping the cork on a champagne/sparkling wine. Grip the cork with the pliers and gently rotate the bottle and you should not disrupt the wine. Only formula one racers can afford to spray their champagne all over the place.

s-k

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:11 pm

"Only formula one racers can afford to spray their champagne all over the place." s-k

I think that's becaue some of them (OK...ONE of them) are/is married to Ashley Judd. She's well known for causing corks to POP...or something like that.

I'll have to post some of my collection of tops that I've twisted off of my wine.

OK...OK...Just kidding...You have a very fine collection there my friend.

Bill

justold52 · Post by **justold52** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:29 pm

Well SOMEONE sure surprised me when the SNAIL-MAN came to day.

However it was sent Air-Mail from Bedford, UK.

This is my First Corkscrew with Character....

I will have to place it in my knife showcase.

Like it's Victorian predecessor The Leg Pull corkscrew is an antique of the future.

Thank You Very Much