Corkscrews

Absolutely. I like some of the different grinds of them. some of them look hammered out.
 
Thank-you here are few more clever mechanical types.

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.

Not sure if all that made sense. Please ask any questions.

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Bugger me, I never realised corkscrews could be so interesting. Excellent collection and thanks for showing them off.
 
You're welcome and thanks very much for the compliments.

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.

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the entire collection is impressive, but that one is a beaut!!!:eek:

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
The mechanical ones are very ornate and beautiful, but I have to say the simple ones really catch my eye.How do you store them or display them?
 
Hi, Thank-you navihawk and shaldag. Your comments are much appreciated. I have about two dozen or so displayed on shelves in my living room. I rotate them around every once in awhile. The rest are kept in old wine boxes. I don't have the space to show them all. This photo is about a year old but gives you the idea. I haven't answered your previous question. Was this in reference to the different style of worms?

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Fantastic collection,smiling-knife-thanks for sharing:thumbup:
"In vino veritas!!"
 
I never thought cork screws could be so fascinating, thank you for sharing them SK!!!!
 
Stunned by the variety of corkscrew! Just imagined there would only be simple pull types. Two other thoughts: Corkscrews being essentially tools it's amazing to think so many appear to have survived because I suppose when broken or disliked they simply got chucked. Secondly, those old corkscrews could tell a tale or two of pleasant evenings drinking,summer lunches,romances etc:thumbup:

Do you use these old corkscrews on special occasions or just use a modern one?

My EDP Every Day Pull is not those two handled affairs others have talked about (too big&clumsy) I opt for a French Pulltaps opener.It's about the size of a SAK very pocketable:D has a bottle opener,folding tiny blade foil cutter and a 1 lever extractor that gets ANY cork out whole in two pulls and as I say, its size means it is portable, no sharp edges! Genius thing but not very aesthetic:eek:

VERY interesting thread s-k , thank you again!
 
The two step waiter's friend style is my favorite and I often carry one, here's a pic of four different ones that I have with the Pulltaps on top. You can see others here, here, and here, hey you could make a full collection just with this type !, by the way, I believe the Pulltaps is made in Spain.

Luis


Click to enlarge
 
Bob W said:
For actually using to open wine bottles, I prefer this style of corkscrew:
41SW0SHP3HL._SS260_.jpg

So far, 100% success rate. Hundreds of bottles opened with no broken corks or cork fragments in the wine.

Anyone ever use one of these?
bssg-cs.jpg
Click to expand...

This too is what I use, and besides the occasional beer, all I drink these days is wine. Maybe we should start a wine thread.
 
Don Luis, you are right about the Pulltaps, Spanish not French, well Catalan actually as I think they come from Barcelona. I wouldn't use any other modern corkscrew, they are compact and always work.

Wine Thread?? Certainly!
 
Thank-you everyone. Just like knives, I am sure they could tell a story or two. Many of them seem so well made that it would be difficult to imagine breaking them. I do use them once in awhile... especially when I get something different, I like to see how well it works. I am definitely interested in a wine thread.

Today's installment is a single lever. In 1855 William Lund was granted a patent for a two-piece, single-lever corkscrew. This 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. The single lever appeared before the double levered models.


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Nice metal-work there! Is it bronze?

Must take about a twelvemonth to extract the cork with that thing though.....
 
willgoy said:
Nice metal-work there! Is it bronze?

Must take about a twelvemonth to extract the cork with that thing though.....
Click to expand...


It certainly was not the most efficient design of all time.

It almost looks like cast iron but I don't really know. Typical of many Victorian corkscrews, it has a copper/bronze coloured coating.
 
I have never seen one of those single-lever two-piece corkscrews before.
Very cool.
 
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