Sampson Mordan

A few days ago, an interesting perfume corkscrew was listed on UK eBay. And, it was being offered up with a buy it now or best offer.

After looking at the photos, I send an offer in.

After thinking for about 12 seconds, I instead clicked the buy now option, and paid the full price.

Several years ago, in conversation with a good friend and fellow collector, he explained, that if it is under 100 dollars and he had never seen it before, he was going to buy it.

Now, this could lead one to make a mistake now and then, but with the amount of corkscrews we all have handled, collected, examined, read about, drooled over in other collections or in the various books published, to find something different can lead to a few questions.

Is this real?

Is this made up?

Is this a one of?

Is this of recent vintage?

Should I throw caution to the wind, and take a chance that this is something special?

I threw.

Some of these questions have crossed my mind since I made the purchase. I have sent pictures to a few folk, and none have seen similar. That said, Joe Paradi has done presentations on the “only one known.” And, these corkscrews are not usually called into question. And, it is during these presentations that what was the only one known, an Addict might say, “Joe, I have that one too.”

Is there another Sampson Mordan corkscrew out there. I would guess so, but might it be in a Sampson Mordan’s collectors collection, rather than in one of the usual suspects’ collections.

So, let’s work under the assumption–given the asking price, and the signature on the piece, that it does have a certain age to it. Sampson Mordan was a known silversmith, and in later years, “S. Mardon & Co.” was used on many silver items.

Sampson Mordan was also awarded many patents, any several of these pertained to the mechanical pencils that he created. Still, many of his other patents were for cases for tools and the like. And, he certainly knew what a corkscrew looked like, as some of his mechanical pencils were shaped like corkscrews.

And, there is the fact that Sampson Mordan made scent bottles as well. If one has a scent bottle in silver, one would have to open a bottle (most likely with a cork) so said scent could be added to that Sampson Mordan scent bottle.

So for the time being, I am going to believe this to be real and original. And, hopefully in the coming weeks, more answers will present themselves.

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