The other day, there was an unusual roundlet-like corkscrew on eBay with a buy it now or best offer.
After looking at it closely, I threw out an offer, and received a prompt counter offer.
After the fact, I learned that RL had also sent an offer, only to be countered as well.
Interestingly enough, RL’s counter offer was higher than my counter offer, even through our initial offers were identical.
Thanks for balking at the counter RL!
Now, it will take some time for the piece to arrive, as the seller is in Ukraine, but the price was decent enough to take a chance on the piece, and on shipping.
Notice the little slot at the end of the case.
It looks that the inner shell rotates into the outer shell to close the case.
When it arrives, I will post better images, but definitely an interesting roundlet corkscrew.
Over the years, I have had many Electro-Chemical Engraving openers and openers with corkscrews.
In the JFO-world, these are known as M-3s or M-73s.
M-3 – opener only
M-73 – opener and corkscrew
And, as one would surmise there are lots of variations out there with various advertisements.
Don Bull has tons of information on his website on the Electro-Chemical Engraving co, and their wares, and you can link to his Electro-Chemical Engraving page here:
And, on that page, you will find an image of three different Electro-Chemical Engraving advertising pieces, advertising the Electro-Chemical Engraving Co; the M-3 and there are two different sizes of the M-73.
I would love to add a couple of these to the collection.
While I have had a wide array of various M-73s over the years, the longer Electro-Chemical Engraving Co., corkscrew has proven illusive (although RL has two of them).
If you do have an Electro-Chemical Engraving Co. M-3 OR M-73 in either size…
From an 1871 issue of AMERICAN ARTISAN: A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF ARTS, MECHANICS, MANUFACTURES, ENGINEERING, CHEMISTRY, INVENTIONS, AND PATENTS
SMITH’S PATENT CORK-SCREW
THE object of this invention is to provide for the more handy and expeditious drawing of corks than has been the case with the instruments that have heretofore been employed.
The peculiarity of this cork screw is that it does not require the hand to be turned in using and does not require the hand to be removed from it in its operation, the whole of which is performed by a simple push to insert it in the cork, one pull to withdraw the cork from the bottle, and another to remove the screw from the cork.
The handle, A, is made in two parts, and is held together by screws inserted at each end. An extension, a, is made at the central portion. Received in this extensions and made to return freely therein is the journal, j, of the screw, C, being held in A by the nut, g. A handle, B, is attached to the screw, and is made of a curved form to allow of the fingers being conveniently placed on opposite side of the shank, f. The screw, C, is formed with a straight core, e, around which is a thin thread, e, of very rapid pitch, the lower end terminating in a cutting edge. The point of the core, c, is sharpened to facilitate its entrance into the cork.
To insert the screw into the cork, the handle, A, is grasped in the hand, and the point of the screws is placed on the cork, and a push given to the handle with force sufficient to enable the screw to enter the cork, the shank in the meantime turning in the handle and the screw during in the cork.
To draw the cork, the fore and second fingers are placed in the part, B, of the handle, to keep the screw from turning; while the part, A, is grasped in the hand, and the cork may then be pulled out of the bottle as with an ordinary cork-screw. After the cork is drawn, it is removed from the screw, by holding it with one hand and pulling the handle, A, with the other.
This improved cork-screw was patented through the “American Artisan Patent Agency,” on November 6, 1870 by John A. Smith of 105 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y., to whom reference is made for further information.
If you have an 1870 John A. Smith of 105 Flatbush Avenue corkscrew in your possession, I would love to see pictures of it.
That said, if you go to the patent drawing and description, the drawings are a little more clear:
And, Smith points out in his patent description that the handle should be brass or some other metal, and further explains:
“It is obvious that with my cork-screw a cork can be drawn and removed from the screw in less time and more handily than by an ordinary cork-screw.”
Of course, I would be happy to acquire Smith a patent, and put it into the collection.
It has long ceased to be thought necessary to make separate holes of different dimensions for the passage of cats and kittens through cellar doors, but until now, a corkscrew suited for a wine bottle or demijohn would hardly be thought appropriate to draw the cork of a medicine vial. Somebody named “Barnes” has revolutionized all this, judging by a three-cornered envelope and a corkscrew which have reached us, but which furnishes us no further information. If Mr. (or Miss, or Mrs.) Barnes or whoever sent us the sample will also send a cut to illustrate this novelty and tell how, where, and for ho much such corkscrews can be bought, we have no doubt that these items will interest our readers, and be productive of enormous wealth the manufacturer.
If anyone of you out there have a three-cornered envelope that contains a Barnes’ Duplex Corkscrew, I would love to see it.
Huck’s creation, Adiabiatic Mama driving along at 35 knots with her five outboards
*thermodynamical; expression meaning very warm
Well, Chap, take one look at the Adiabatic Mama and even you admits I am good. I doesn’t believe in bragging about what nothing what I does, but this design, putting it modest-like, it is a knockout. If it doesn’t drive all the present stock boats into the scrap heap and send all the naval architects back to school, I am wrong as usual. I has dreamed over the idee of a small boat of great size of what would make high speed with no power, for a long time, but it wasn’t until I samples some genuine Southern shine, aged in the wood and presented to me by a relative what I hasn’t never met, that this theory, it comes to full frewishun, if you follows me Chap. You probably doesn’t because you seldom follows anything, idees or ankles, but be you as it is, I submits Adiabatic Mama to the yachting world as my judges and comments the building of her to every young gentleman what has a desire for luxurious yachting on a small percentage.
While this boat, it is too large to build in the kitchen, its dimensions is such, that you can easily do the job in a two-car garage. On the other hand, if you lives on Park Avenue you can build it on the roof, only in this case you has to arrange to have it lowered to the street after it is done, unless it blows off first, but as this method is expensive and some of these here cooperative owners objects to such things as boats being dangled in front of the their apartments, the garage, it is the better plan. Of course, in order to make the space, you has to dispose of your cars, but this, it is easily accomplished, because as soon as you propose anything to do with the Adiatbatic Mama, your wife will beat it anyways, undoubtedly, taking the best car with her, and then you has to hock the other one to help pay the alimony. For tools, all you needs is a ice pick corkscrew, hammer, nail file, cocktail shaker, and some court plaster…
josef@vintagecorkscrews.com corkscrewing around 