BEST 6
In the various corkscrew clubs, there is a tradition of publishing your best 6 corkscrews for the year. As the end of the corkscrew fiscal year nears, figuring out which corkscrews make the list, and which ones don't, makes for a fun but difficult decision--below you will find my best 6 for this year, and links to previous best 6's.
Best 6 for 2023
1. Walrus Ivory direct pull with faceted shank, marked “B. NATHAN.” Bernhard Nathan & Co. was a retailer in San Francisco. According to Bernard Levine’s book Knifemakers of Old San Francisco, “Of those cutlers who advertised that they made cutlery to order, most actually had their new work done by others. Several, such as B. Nathan & Co., George C. Shreve & Co., and Haynes & Lawton, had some of their special cutlery made by Will & Finck.”
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2. J. CAIRE direct pull with acorn handle. Justinian Caire Company was an importer, wholesaler, & dealer of all kinds of wares in San Francisco in a similar timeframe as Bernard Nathan. It is likely that this particular corkscrew was also made by Will and Finck. Marked “J. CAIRE, S.F. CAL.” Referring to the same Knifemakers of Old San Francisco text mentioned earlier, Bernard Levine writes: In San Francisco directories, and in other early sources, are dozens of names of cutlers, cutlery importers, and cutlery retailers. Many of them no doubt sold razors, knifes, and scissors made elsewhere but marked with their own names. In addition, some of San Francisco’s many hardware and sporting goods wholesalers distributed knives marked with their own company names or trademarks. Frequently encountered are knives marked; Pacific Hardware and Steel, Adolph Blaich; Justinian Caire Co.; and Miller Sloss and Scott.
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3. Walrus Ivory direct pull from San Francisco Cutler Michael Price marked “M. PRICE S.F.”
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4. Walrus Ivory direct pull from San Francisco Cutlers Will & Finck. Marked “WILL & FINCK”
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5. G. B. Adams 1896 Patent (# 564.356). The fourth example in the collection, the reverse is marked THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO. NEWARK, N.J., PATENTED JULY 17, 1894, APRIL 14, 1896, JULY 21, 1896, with a marking for the ALLIED PRINTING trade union. The front is an advertisement “COMPLIMENTS OF R. D. BRADNER, DRUGGIST, 85 BLOOMFIELD AVE., NEWARK, N.J.” (see L’Africain,2023 https://theicca.org/wp-content/uploads/gbadamspinbackcorkscrews.pdf)
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6. Unusual Greeley style cork puller; left-handed and incised into the handle “DISSTON U.S.A.”
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