Charles C. Call

One of the cork pullers that I have long been after is the 1909 Charles C. Call patent.

An interesting tool, one would push the spike through the cork.  After penetrating the cork, a button is depressed at which point a lever slides out underneath the cork perpendicular to the shaft of the cork puller. This would then allow for the cork to be withdrawn

At least that is how it looks like it work.

In reading the Charles C. Call patent description, he explained it like this.

The device, preparatory to using it for pulling a cork, has the rod C forced to or near the limit of its downward movement, as shown in Fig. 1, longitudinally alining the pivot bar with the stem. The stem with the bar thus ensconced therein may, because of the pointed extremity a, be readily forced centrally through the cork sufficiently far to bring the pivot g a little ways below the lower end of the cork. Now by upwardly forcing the rod, which will automatically be done by the contacting of the angular exteriorly extending member 2′ against the top of the cork so as to bring the lower deflected end of the rod in the least degree above the axis of the pivot, the spring reaction of the deflected extremity in an inward direction exerts a leverage action on the pivot barresulting in the throwing of the same towards a position at right angles to its normal position. This bar then on the upward drawing of the stem through means of the cross handle 03 becomes interlocked the extraction of the cork from. the bottle neck.

It will be noticed that in the position ofthe bar, Fig. 2, a shoulder h is near the point of the deflected spring extremity of the rod. The shouldered formation and the coaction therewith of the stem having its lower extremity of the character mentioned, faciliates in restoring the pivot bar to its ensconced condition, an occasiontherefor may arise. It will be explained in this connection that a person might improperly force the pointed stem through a cork so far to one side that when the pivot bar were thrown to its transverse relation to the stem it might interlock under the. shouldered neck of the bottle, rendering it impossible to pull out the cork or withdraw the implement; but it will be apparent that in such an event the stem may be forced slightly further inwardly so as to carry the bar clear from the cork and then by the manipulation of the red the cross bar would be restored to its alined normal position of alinement with the slot 6, enabling one hand to easily withdraw the device from its engagement through the cork.

By the provision of a cork pulling device substantially such as described, and made of a comparatively small size, quite large and firmly set corks may be pulled with certainty, and after a cork may have been pierced by the bottle stem, and pulled from the bottle and the stem drawn out centrally from the pierced cork, the latter by reason of the elastic character thereof will fill or close the comparatively small axial hole made, thereby leaving the cork more available for continued use than would be the case were the same subjected to the action of a spiral cork screw.

Aha!  An added benefit.  The cork could be reused!

Our man Charles C. Call was awarded several different patents, and importantly, several were assigned to Smith & Wesson, where old Charlie was an employee.  According to Smith & Wesson folk, he worked there for 65 years!

65 years!

I have been in contact with a Smith and Wesson historian, as well as the S & W historical society to see if we can’t unearth a little more information about Charles C. Call.

More information will be added as it finds its way into my email box.

Until then… this surely is a Best Six Candidate for 2017.

New Corkscrew Cases

The construction on the corkscrew room has been complete for a while now, but we have been in the market for the right cases to house the collection.  I had first thought of steel barrister cases, but the vintage ones are often in poor shape, and when they are not in poor shape, the price of them is simply too high.  And, trying to get three or four stacked sets that are matching is also difficult.

After look at several at Brimfield in September, we needed to head another direction.

Looking around online, I ran into a nice metal and glass option that was available at IKEA.  The measurements were right, they had the right look for the space, so I tried to order them online.

Okay…  Apparently that doesn’t work.

When we visited Tommy, we made a quick stop at IKEA to check them out in person.  Yes, these are definitely going to work.

The closest IKEA to where we live, is in Stoughton, MA.  A mere one hour and fifteen minute boat ride, and a 4 hour vehicle ride down to their location.

So, a couple of weeks ago, we were going to head over to the mainland and pick up 3 cases.  I called the IKEA phone number, only to be told they didn’t have any.

I then asked if I could call ahead when the stocks were replenished, pay for three, and then come down and pick them up at an appointed time.

Okay…  Apparently they don’t do that.

So, yesterday, the lovely bride and I having made it across to the mainland the day before, decided to make the drive down.  If they don’t have any in stock, perhaps they will have something else that will work.

Note to self: IKEA on a Sunday in November is mayhem!

The huge parking lot was pretty much full.  And, the store, filled with people.

We meandered through the store, trying to avoid the less determined, and finally made it to the section that had the aforementioned case.

Interestingly, I had originally wanted the cases to be blue in color, but in talking to one of the IKEA-folk, after they checked their stock levels, there were zero available in blue.

But, our the other color we were interested in (a light gray) was available.

Knowing that these apparently are selling lot hot cakes, I asked if they would reserve three of them for me until I could get to the purchase area.

Apparently they don’t do that.

Around the corner, I saw a display of the cases we were after.  And, it definitely reified in me that these were indeed the right addition to the corkscrew room.

The irony of seeing the cases in the display; four stacked adjacent to one another, and another not too far away, was that they were all the blue color.

Okay, so you don’t have any blue cases for sale, but you have five blue cases on display… that I can’t buy.  I mean, can you sell me the display pieces?  I will take three!

Apparently they don’t do that.

Still, with the bulk of the Massachusetts population shopping IKEA on Sunday, and knowing that the gray will also work well in the space, I walked the 1.5 miles through the IKEA glassware, IKEA cabinets, IKEA kitchens, IKEA bathrooms, IKEA lighting, IKEA rugs, IKEA bedding, and after dodging and weaving countless customers, found the warehouse area where, after retrieving a cart, found Aisle 67: Shelf 21, the locale of what was left of the last 10 gray-soon-to-be-corkscrew-cases.  I put three–which is actually 6 different boxes–onto the cart, and headed to check out.

Having completed my purchase, I loaded the boxes into the xterra.

Mission accomplished.

Now, it was on to a well-earned glass of wine, lunch with the lovely, and after an enjoyable evening in Boston, a 4 hour drive back up to Maine, a boat ride back to the island.  The corkscrew cases…which have to be assembled, should be in the corkscrew room and filled with corkscrews within a day or so.

Of course, there are more cases also to be added…  But, pictures will be posted after the assembly is complete, and a few corkscrews are placed in said display cases…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evil Clown

Just the other day, I was perusing our second favorite auction site, and a listing popped up for a “Evil Clown corkscrew figurine ceramic or possibly syraco dist. by King.”

The piece had a more colorful paint job than usual, but over the years several color variations have turned up.

And, the buy it now price wasn’t bad at all.  I decided to go for it.

I don’t know if the clown is truly evil.  And, it isn’t ceramic, but it is Syroco and it will make a nice addition to the collection.

Or Tommy’s collection…

Whatcha got to trade TC?

Looks like there is a space for him in front of the white clown with black hair next to the stained monk…

Auction lots end today

Well, it is that time of year folks.  The latest collectorcorksrews.com auction lots start ending today at 1:00.  You can link to them here.

There are some great corkscrews this time around; and the bidding is already hot and heavy.  Which lots will skyrocket due to bidding wars, remains to be seen.  But, there are already a couple that are garnering lots of bids.

Be sure to check it out!  Bid high, and bid often!

Taps and Corkscrews for Effervescing Liquids

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:

Clench the handle in the left hand with the nozzle projecting outward through the fingers.  With the right hand hold the bottle at the bottom (see Fig. C), and press or screw it (the bottle) forward.  When the point appears through the Cork, direct nozzle into the tumbler, into which, with a further turn or two, the liquid will rush.  Do not use corkscrew to break wire or string.  To preserve the remainder, draw or screw the bottle backwards till the holes are brought well within the Cork, afterwards keeping the bottle neck downwards.  The pointed form (Fig B.) should be withdrawn till about ¼ of an inch of the point shows.

• Keep the internal slide tube shut whenever pasting through cork. When desired, push it open with the backs of the fingers of the left hand acting beneath the disc.

 

Just in case you have a Hooper’s patent, and wanted to use it…

On another corkscrew note: no corkscrews or moose were found at Moosehead Lake.  Although, we did utilize one on a great bottle of McPrice Meyers.

Of course, the big corkscrew news, is that there are 720 lots upon which to bid on the latest corkscrewcollectors.com auction.

Bid high, and bid often.  You can link to the auction here.