in 1944, John Henry Miller was awarded US patent 2,342,156 for this stopper extractor… And, this turns up on occasion in various colors (blue, gold, red and silver); also patented in the UK and Cananda, it was marketed as the Valezina.
Well, somewhere along the way it appears that Norm Thompson got a hold of the Miller patent, and decided to sell it himself. And, other day I picked up a gold version of the Valezina with Norm Thompson emblazoned across the barrel of the corkscrew.
Why Norm decided on this particular corkscrew to sell, I have no idea. However, I would love to know if anyone out there has a vintage (circa 1944-1950) Norm Thompson catalog that shows this corkscrew.
Alternatively, if your name happens to be Norm Thompson, and you are looking for a corkscrew that literally has your name on it, drop me a line.
