more syroco

I managed to pick this catalog up on ebay yesterday. From 1953, it only pictures one of the corkscrews, but perhaps there will be a little more history of the syracuse ornamental company in the publication’s pages…

pre-red carpet findings…

As a pre-redcarpet festivity, I headed to Holliston, MA this morning for an antique show. I picked up a very very very long cheese borer, and a really neat corkscrew. Pictured below, it is a sterling adorned, fancy shanked, walker belled corkscrew with a tusk handle which has been carved with a flower and leaves–a really breathtaking piece. The lovely claimed it instantly!

cc & s x 2

I picked up this crown cork and seal opener a month ago on eBay, and it finally arrived. And, then on Monday, I worked a deal for another one. It also arrived yesterday. This should make for some nice tradebait for Marky Mark…

good condition????

after discussing topics of final papers tonight with my students, I headed back to the temporary house opened some wine, and spent a few minutes perusing ebay. Glancing at the lastest offerings, I saw an interesting listing that is clearly a goodyear patent roundlet. Well, maybe it isnt "clearly" a goodyear patent corkscrew, but at close examination it is the 1851 piece.

The picture doesn’t show the whole corkscrew, so I clicked on the link a examined the other photos. There is only half of the corkscrew, and only half of the handle. And, while I appreciate that the seller may have no idea, he describes the piece as in "good condition."

the corkscrew is broken in half, and half the handle is missing…how is there anything good about that????????

silver slide openers

I saw these openers last night, and couldn’t resist the buy it now option. While they have no advertising, there are 5 of them, and they are all marked sterling. Surely they will come in handy as tradebait at the JFO. If not, x mas pressies CB, RL, MW, and PB have been taken care of…

findings!

After dropping the lovely off at the airport this morning–she is headed to Orlando for a meat conference–Hunter and I drove down to Hyannis for an antique show. About 50 dealers were there, and there were one or two corkscrews. I got a flash from Maine, a cigar cutter/opener and an interesting apollinaris match striker. I passed on a champion bar screw missing the handle.

Well, after the show we headed up to sandwich, ma…I didn’t expect to find anything of note, but in the very first case immediately inside the shop was a remarkable corkscrew–it is one of those folding boot-hook pieces; check Bert’s book page 98.

lovely lovely stuff!

peg and worm

I did manage an interesting buy moments ago. Someone listed a peg and worm corkscrew on a buy it now or best offer for 5 dollars; me being me, decided to offer less than the 5 bucks. And, they accepted…woohooooooooo!

diligent searching

One never knows what will show up online for sale…so, every once in a while you have to take a gander at what is for sale off of eBay–on antique dealer’s sites. The spoon is from my favorite stomping grounds, but the other two were gleaned from a search for "opener" on a site which remain nameless…

happy VD

a pre v-day surprise

just before class, I took a quick perusal of ebay and saw this item going for 1.99. somehow it was slipping thru, so I threw a snipe bid on it, and went off to teach. after discussing cross-sex friendships with half my class…the other half apparently can’t come to class when it is snowing, i headed back to my office and there was the email confirmation that i won the item. i did the corkscrew dance of joy, and promptly headed for home.

the corkscrew is pictured below.