Logging Caliper and the tattoo reveal…

The lovely bride and I took a few days off this past week, and headed to southern Maine, and enjoyed some much needed rest, relaxation, and a bit of antiquing.

We rented a house near York Beach, and ventured out to enjoy the locale fare during the day, with us cooking dinners in. And, there were some fabulous meals (both in and out).

Of course, there was a fair amount of wine too, but owning a wine shop certainly has its advantages!

And, we did go out antiquing. There were a couple corkscrews to be had, the best was a Narragansett nifty-type, but alas, when it was retrieved from the confines of the glass case within which it was housed, both knife blades were missing.

At one shop, I did find this remarkable logging caliper.

It is a fascinating sculptural thing, and it will soon be hanging on the wall in Rockland.

I know, its not a corkscrew, and I have no plans to start collecting logging calipers…

In use, one would measure the diameter of the log with the caliper part, and the star-like piece would measure the length.

And, while I did share this on Facebook, I also realized that it also shows the corkscrew tattoo…

Yes, many of you were right. It ended up being the Woodman’s patent drawing!

1883 ACME CORKSCREW

In an 1880 John Pritzlaff Hardware Company catalog, there is an illustration of a corkscrew that looks familiar…

…with the description,

“ACME, ” “, Nickel Plated Ferrule and Cap, Convex Twist, Hardwood, ” ” 8 00

For those wondering the quotation marks are from the corkscrew pictured above it, reading Cast, Iron, Handle, and Per Doz.

So, it would read…

Acme — Cast Iron, Nickel Plated Ferrule and Cap, Convex Twist, Hardwood Handle, Per Doz. 8 00

That said, in the illustration itself, the corkscrew shows that it is marked ACME across the bell and has the patent date of June 12, 1883.

Of course, with that patent date, we know that this is the Thomas Strait patent (279,203) of 1883…

But, do any of you have a Strait patent marked ACME? Drop me a line if you do!

Dr. Pierce returns…

Over the past week, a R.V. Pierce World Medical Dispensary Association corkscrew was going through the bidding process on eBay.

It had a couple of bids, and then came to rest at $50 or so for a few days. Tuesday, it was set to end, and by early afternoon, it was bid up a little bit. And, with the auction ending at 9 pm (east coast time), I had stopped keeping an eye on it, with my focus being elsewhere.

That said, even though I already have this corkscrew in the collection, I placed a snipe bid, and went about my business.

Wednesday morning, I got the email confirmation that I had won the R.V. Pierce.

As I have done before when a double like this has come into the collection, I am happy to move it along to someone else.

But, what I would love to do, is trade it for a different example of the same piece–different image/advertising.

Tommy has a Mangel & Schmidt version of this patent (G. B. Adams, 1896, patent no. 564,356), and I have both the R.V. Pierce and one that reads “I have my “eye” on you.”

What other G.B Adams / Whitehead & Hoag pin back corkscrews are out there?

If you have one, drop me a line,. And, if you are up for a trade, please let me know.

This is a new, unique, and powerful instrument for extracting corks from champagnes, porter, and other bottles where the corks are wired down

From the August 14, 1869 issue of Scientific American

This is a new, unique, and powerful instrument for extracting corks from champagnes, porter, and other bottles where the corks are wired down ; and it not only enables the cork to be quickly and certainly, but obviates all previous cutting or breaking wire.

It consists of a stout, vertical shaft, actuated buy a lever, toothed sector, and rack, and having at its lower end a spear with pivoted barbs.  This spear is shown in detail at the left

of the principal engraving.

In operation the bottle is seized by one hand, and the top of the neck is thrust into a funnel-shaped projection at the lower part of the cast-iron plate to which the movable parts attached.  The bottom of the bottle is pressed back toward the wooden support of the apparatus, and rests upon one of a series of shelves about three eighths of an inch in thickness, and having their front edges recurved.  The shelves above the bottom of the bottle are pressed backwards against springs with which each shelf is supplied, so that when the bottle is removed they are again advanced uniformly.  This arrangement gives firm support to bottles of very different lengths.

The bottle being placed as described and as shown in the engraving, the hand grasping the lever is raised ; this thrusts the spear into the cork and a reversed motion of the lever opens all pivoted barbs into position shown in detail on the left of the engraving, and draws the cork, breaking the wires, etc., at the same time.  Subsequent corks being drawn face the first up along the spear, until finally it is split by the conical end of the vertical shaft, and flies off out of the way.

Four motions, two with each hand, draw a cork in less time than the wire could be broken by the old method. By substituting a punch in place of the spear, and placing a small funnel to receive the cork, this machine can be used to cork bottles with great rapidity.

Patented through the Scientific American Agency, July 14, 1869 by Charles G. Wilson of Brooklyn, N.Y., who may be addressed for the entire right at the Holske Machining Company’s Office no. 528 Water Street, New York City

Masterpieces of the Jeweler’s Art…

As seen in the 1924 issue of Masterpieces of the Jeweler’s Art by S. Kind & Sons

Of course this is the 1926 McLean patent (#1,574,497) for his “Combination Tool.”

If you have a folding tool with a key blank (blank key) on it, I would happily add it to the collection, and I will happily pay more than the original $6.50 asking price.

Drop me a line!

J.T. Haviland…

In July, I shared a patent image from the back of O’Leary; the J.T. Haviland patent of 1870 for his “Cork Screw.”

And, within that bloggy blog entry, I wondered why the patent would read “Cork Screw,” then clearly there is no helix present, but also wondered if I would ever find an example, as there had yet to have been one presented in any book, other than the drawing in the back of O’Leary.

After reading through the patent description, and thinking about it. While the tool was indeed intended to remove the twine / wire from champagne corks, one would then use the tool as a cork gripper, and then turn the cork out of the bottle; essentially screwing it out. So… Cork Screw does somewhat make sense.

And, as it happened, an example of J.T. Haviland patent was discovered, and did make its way to the island. During our ICCA AGM / Show & Tell I shared images of the patent, and it definitely is a nice fit within the collection.

A departure from the patent drawings with a different hinge, and no brush in the handle, it is marked J.T. HAVILAND, PAT. APPD. FOR., it surely will make the best 6 of the year!

DON’T LET ANY WOMAN STRUGGLE with a corkscrew and risk cutting her hands to open tightly corked catsup, olive, pickle, medicine, or any other bottles.

From a 1903 issue of Harper’s Monthly Magazine

The YANKEE Cork Puller Should be in Every Home

DON’T LET ANY WOMAN STRUGGLE with a corkscrew and risk cutting her hands to open tightly corked catsup, olive, pickle, medicine, or any other bottles.

THE YANKEE is screwed against upright surface ; Icebox, Sideboard, Door Frame, or Wall.

IT’S ALWAYS THERE.  No hunting for a corkscrew, always ready to draw the tightest cork from any bottle.  It never slips, never breaks the bottle.

Hold the bottle in position.  Raise the handle and the screw enters the cork.  Lower the handle, the tightest cork comes out, clean and whole, leaving no broken bits in the bottle, ad it is automatically discharged from the machine.

THE YANKEE CANNOT BREAK.  Considering that this cork puller is practically indusestructbil and cannot get lost, you must realize that while its possession may be a luxury its purchase is eurel an economy. Settle this problem for a life time by ordering to-day. 

Corkscrew Tattoo

A few years ago, I mulled the idea of getting a tattoo of a corkscrew, and at the time a few collectors weighed in with their suggestions.

There is particular tattoo artist whose work I really like here in Maine, and she has a waiting list. In fact, she is so in demand, that she only opens her books for appointments. And, with COVID over the last year and a half, tattooing hasn’t been happening much.

Over the last week or so, she announced that she was again taking clients. That said, the subject matter needs to meet her style. And, I have no doubt that she thought that a vintage corkscrew was not only cool, but does mirror her stylings.

So, we put in a tattoo request, and a few days ago got the following response:

“Hello Josef!

Thank you for submitting a request form to schedule a tattoo appointment with me.

The piece you’ve inquired about; Vintage corkscrew ( ____________ patent) on right inner forearm, about 4″ x 6″ in size will take me an estimated 3 hours to complete.

My first available date is….”

Of course, the type of patent wasn’t left blank in the email, but it could make for a fun round of guessing…

Feel free to make a guess.

Of course, in two months the truth will reveal itself.

A New Corkscrew

From an 1886 issue of The Iron Age

A New Corkscrew

The accompanying illustration represents a corkscrew which is put on market by W. B. Woodman & Co., Newark, N. J.   The corkscrew is in the usual way turned into the cork until the swivel passes over the cork and rests atop the bottle.  Then the ring at the upper end of the corkscrew is to be lifted off the hook on the handle, when the handle, again turned as before, no longer drives the screw into the cork, but lifts the screw, and with it the cork, and thus withdraws the cork from the bottle.  

A New Corkscrew

The central wire, it will thus be seen, after it is inserted in the cork, remains without turning, and the cork, it is claimed is drawn without difficulty.  The manufacturers allude to the facility with which the operation is performed, and the resulting advantage.

When found, the Woodman’s is marked across the handle WOODMAN’S PATENT and with the patent date of PAT’D JAN.Y 6.1886.

It should be noted, that Woodman’s patent was awarded on June, 29 1886 (patent number 344,556).

It’s fairly fabulous…

The Von Gieson arrived the other day, and it is fabulous.

A nice addition to the collection.

What might turn up next?

On an antiquing note, the Union Antiques show in Maine has been cancelled for this year, “due to a supply chain issue experienced by our supplier of tents and tables…”

Really?

Yes. Really.

Maybe a trip to Brimfield in September is in order…

We shall see…