Perry & Co’s Improved Patent Corkscrews

From the May 1882 copy of Perry & Co’s Monthly Illustrated Price Current:

 

These Corkscrews are a vast improvement on the ordinary Corkscrews as they give a great increase of power to the drawer, and will be found to save much trouble. The Cork is extracted by simply continuing to turn the screw after it has pieced the Cork.  When lined with India Rubber, the neck of the bottle ensured against breakage.

 

 

 

 

off to Moosehead

The lovely personal personal trainer and I are off to Moosehead Lake for a few days, if any corkscrews (or mooses) are found along the way, I will report back here.

Speaking of finding corkscrews, or cork pullers rather, this cork puller hook, is on its way to the collection.

If you have cork puller with which you would like to part, feel free to drop me a line!

From a 1903 DUNHAM, CARRIGAN & HAYDEN CO. catalog

From an 1903 DUNHAM, CARRIGAN, & HAYDEN CO. catalog:

The two corkscrews illustrated up top, are both Frary Corkscrews.  Interestingly, what DUNHAM, CARRIGAN, & HAYDEN CO. are calling the No. 240, wasn’t illustrated within 1889 copy of The Iron Age: A Review of the Hardware, Iron and Metal Trades, which was where Kenneth Cope found the images that identified the corkscrews as made by Frary in his book Kitchen Collectibles; this same issue of Iron Age became the basis of my article Finding Frary, which you can link to here.

There are some collectors that have asked me, was the non-hammer-non-ice-pick Frary a production item, or was it that their hammer and spike had gone missing.

Well, this clearly answers the question!  A production corkscrew, that cost 25% less than the Ice Pick and Breaker Version!

No. 240—5 inch, Self Drawing, Revolving Bell, Convex Twist, Cast Steel, Fancy Iron Handle, Full Nickel Plated .. Per Doz $6 00

241—5 inch, Same as above, with Ice Pick and Breaker …………………………. $8 00

Dozen per box

It pays to advertise (again)

There is a Gold Medal Malt cork puller enroute to the collection!

A few days ago, I had posted an image of the folding Greeley on Facebook, hoping that someone would have a second one.

And, before long, this was offered up.

Not a Greeley, but still a cool cork puller to add to the collection.

This one is an advertising piece for “GOLD MEDAL MALT, FRANKENMUTH PRODUCTS CO.”

There will be more news shortly.  We are heading to the airport this morning to pick up Tommy!  Let the corkscrewing around commence!

 

“avoids all unnecessary shaking of the bottle…”

From a 1922 issue of The Export World and Commercial Intelligence

 

A Novel Corkscrew Invention.

A corkscrew which will perform its function of extraction without spoiling the cork or making a hole in it is a novelty which should make a wide appeal.  There is firstly to be considered the saving of corks—an important matter these days—and, in addition to this, it is claimed that the patent “Stap Corkscrew” illustrated avoids all unnecessary shaking of the bottle—a point which is of considerable importance in dealing with certain wines.  In use the metal strips are pushed down gently with a rocking movement between the cork and the bottle neck.  The cork is then extracted by pulling up gently and at the same time turning the screw.  The appliance is light in weight and can be easily packed.  The invention is handled in this country by Messrs Leverlite Lamps, 23A Old Bond Street, London, W.I.