Japanese Waiter’s Corkscrew

Okay, I am not obsessed, but…

It was available, so why not…

Theodore B. Starr medicine corkscrew

The spoon and spoon and spoon and corkscrew arrived this afternoon.

And it is fabulous!

Marked on the side, THEODORE B. STARR, INC and STERLING, this is a wonderful addition to the collection!

Spoon and Spoon and Spoon and Corkscrew

This morning, I received an email regarding a “…sterling silver and gold gilt folding medicine spoon and corkscrew.”

Of course, given my fondness for medicine, poison, and dosage cup corkscrews, I responded that I was interested.

And, after a bit of sleuthing around managed to find the seller on various social media platforms, and their etsy seller’s page.

But, given that emails sometimes get missed, I simply reached out, and over the course of a fun messenger exchange we managed to “virtually meet,” share a humorous engaging exchange, strike a deal for said “…sterling silver and gold gilt folding medicine spoon and corkscrew,” and she had it already wrapped up with postage printed before we signed off.

Now, I know you are wondering why “spoon and spoon and spoon and corkscrew.”

Because, it has three spoons and a corkscrew!

Of course, it will fit in nicely into the spoon / dosage cup corkscrew collection, and I can’t wait to get it into my hands to see how it all folds together.

Well, I know how it folds together, as there was a photo of that too in the email….

Still, I can’t wait to get it into my hands!

The sleuthing into the silversmith that made this has already begun!

Thanks Jillian! I look forward to our next deal!

More photos, and any other details about the triple-spoon-corkscrew when it arrives in a couple of days!

Stay tuned!

Lowenstein… (again)

Last week, a Lowenstein patent was listed on eBay.

And, as you well know, I have a small collection within our collection of Lowenstein patents, and I couldn’t let this one go.

It is technically a double, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have an extra Lowenstein available to make a trade should someone else that reads the corkscrew blog has a version of the Lowenstein patent that isn’t in the collection.

If you haven’t already done so, you can read my article about the Lowenstein patent here:

And, since tomorrow is August 22, I might as well include one of the images from said article, which has an AUG. 22 (1900) date on it.

Nakayama Seizo update

The Nakayma Seizo patent bottle stopper arrived this morning.

And, after taking it out of its box, I turned the bottle opener top, and what should reveal itself, but a corkscrew!

Patent 43,810…

In Japan, patent 43,810 dates to 1917, and a diagram of said patent is shown in Don Bull’s book on Japanese corkscrews on page 50.

Recently a box containing an example of this particular patent was put up for auction, with the box reading “PATENT NO 43810, Improved Bottle Cap Extractor & Bottle Stopper.”

On the reverse of the lid, the usage of the Improved Bottle Cap Extractor is shown:

While the images from the auction listing where the Nakayma Seizo patent was found does not show the corkscrew, it looks as if by unscrewing the the bottle cap extractor from its sheath, a corkscrew will reveal itself.

I was willing to take that chance.

I mean, if they show the corkscrew piece in the directions…

And, an exciting new Japanese patent corkscrew discovery is heading to the island.

Toan patent

In a 1911 issue of Everybody’s Magazine an advertisement for agents reads as follows:

AGENTS, EITHER SEX, AND STREET MEN make big money selling Sure Pull cork extractors, 3 bottle openers in one, not sold in stores.  Write to-day.  The Toan Mfg. Company, 1206 First St. Dept. E., Jackson, Michigan

Whenever I see an advertisement like this, I am a little inrigued. Who is Toan Mfg. and what is their Sure Pull cork extractor? With a quick search, I found Toan and his patent.

And, Toan’s patent decription explains:

“A cork extractor comprising a blade of elliptical form in cross section presenting opposite convex faces and having its lower end tapered correspondingly from opposite sides to provide an introducing point, said blade being of uniform width above said introducing point and provided  with opposite parallel unbroken or continuous longitudinal sharpened edges extending to the introducing point, laterally extending shoulders formed upon the sides of the blade at the juncture of the introducing point with the lower ends of the sharpened edges, and extending outward beyond said point and edges, and a handle at the upper end of the blade.”

Huh?

I think we need to find one, and try it out!

If they were advertising for agents, surely this was produced.

Does anyone have one?

corkscrew and potato peeler

Okay, I will admit that I have a thing for odd tools that have a corkscrew attached.

And, while this isn’t a US patent, patent applied for, or pat. pending piece, and while it isn’t even of US manufacture, and while it isn’t very old…I just had to see it in person.

So, this multi-tool with corkscrew and potato peeler is on its way to the island.