Durand tips for a newbie?

[Mark_Thompson]

1. Read the instructions. If you don’t, you will try to put the prongs through the slots on the “worm” piece. Those are only for storage. The prong piece goes perpendicular to the worm piece, which you don’t need me to tell you if you read the instructions but which everyone who doesn’t read them gets wrong.

LOL, I was at a restaurant where this kid comes out with the bottle of wine and they had given him a Durand. He was working so hard to get those prongs through the slot. Finally he got them like half way in, but mostly just stuck in the cork and then just pulled the worm to get the whole thing out.

I did it that way for several months before someone (another Berserker, incidentally) pointed this out. The funny thing is it that it worked just about as well for me. The one caveat being that you had less margin of error on centering the cork screw.

To Gerhard’s point on corks falling in, I find the very sharp point of the Durand’s corkscrew helps avoid this outcome immensely. A clumsy move can pretty easily draw blood!

[Gerhard_P]

To Gerhard’s point on corks falling in, I find the very sharp point of the Durand’s corkscrew helps avoid this outcome immensely. A clumsy move can pretty easily draw blood!

that’s why I drive the screw in at app. 45° , holding the bottle also at an angle - at least with old bottles.
Then I draw the cork with the fork …

[Andrew_A_r_n_t_f_i_e_l_d]

If you ever forget to use your Durand and you end up with a broken cork, the screw on the Durand is brilliant for extracting the bit stuck in the neck. As Gerhard suggested, very slowly and gently insert the screw into the cork at an angle, and then very slowly and gently pry the cork out, resting your thumb on the rim of the bottle for more precision. You’ll quickly get a feel for it. The narrow gauge of the screw and the tight spiral makes the Durand the perfect tool for this.

[Mark_Thompson]

To Gerhard’s point on corks falling in, I find the very sharp point of the Durand’s corkscrew helps avoid this outcome immensely. A clumsy move can pretty easily draw blood!

that’s why I drive the screw in at app. 45° , holding the bottle also at an angle - at least with old bottles.
Then I draw the cork with the fork …

Think I might be getting a similar result with a slightly different technique. Because the tip of the corkscrew is so sharp, I’m able to get it into the cork with barely any downward pressure. Once it is in a bit, I let the thread do the work while pulling sideways against the neck of the bottle (using my index finger on the side of the screw). So while I’m not intentionally pursuing a 45 degree angle, it is nearly impossible to push the cork in, even when it is essentially hovering. The 1967 Laville Haut Brion I opened last week was hovering, but the seal was fine—no oxidation and a beautiful wine.

[Ravi_Raju]

My default opener is an Ah So. I have used that to open more than a thousand bottles and use it today for most. After using it to put the cork through on a bottle of 1999 Chateau Lafite a few years ago, I anted up for the Durand. There is no substitute for older bottles and if it does not work for you (if used properly), nothing will. Any one who drinks aged bottles of wine should invest in one unless they don’t mind drinking cork IMO.

[Joseph_Grassa]

Just got the durand last week. Used it on a 2016 just to test it out, and it was tough to use. This weekend used it on a 1988 Felsina Fontalloro. Wow. cant believe how easily and how perfectly it worked. Just watch their video on the site and/or use the directions it comes with. It works as simply as they say, at least on older corks.

[Scott_Brunson]

Buy two

[M.Kaplan]

Lots of good advice… Or you can always follow the pictographic instructions that come with it?

A shovel is for digging. A Durand is for opening wine. The latter is no more complicated than the former. To wit:

1. Screw HELIX into center of cork until STABILIZER BAR rests against top of cork (or bottle). Watch the video for Step 1.

2. With BLADES on either side of STABILIZER BAR, insert first the “long” then “short” BLADE between the cork and bottle. Watch the video for Step 2.

3. Work the BLADES down between the cork and bottle by pressing down alternately over each BLADE using the HANDLE. Continue this “rocking” motion until the bottom of the HANDLE rests against the top of the STABILIZER BAR. Watch the video for Step 3.

4. Hold the bottle securely. With the other hand grasp the STABILIZER BAR and HANDLE together and twist, then pull upward slowly continuing to twist to remove the cork. Watch the video for Step 4.

In other words, RTFM

[Scott_Brunson]

Lots of good advice… Or you can always follow the pictographic instructions that come with it?

A shovel is for digging. A Durand is for opening wine. The latter is no more complicated than the former. To wit:

1. Screw HELIX into center of cork until STABILIZER BAR rests against top of cork (or bottle). Watch the video for Step 1.

2. With BLADES on either side of STABILIZER BAR, insert first the “long” then “short” BLADE between the cork and bottle. Watch the video for Step 2.

3. Work the BLADES down between the cork and bottle by pressing down alternately over each BLADE using the HANDLE. Continue this “rocking” motion until the bottom of the HANDLE rests against the top of the STABILIZER BAR. Watch the video for Step 3.

4. Hold the bottle securely. With the other hand grasp the STABILIZER BAR and HANDLE together and twist, then pull upward slowly continuing to twist to remove the cork. Watch the video for Step 4.

In other words, RTFM

I actually looked at the pics before first use.
#BerserkerFail

[HoosJustinG]

Don’t try to use the ah so part through the slotted part of the worm that holds them in the package. (Most important!)
This is the most common error.

. . .

Then use the ah so part at an angle of 90 degrees or so to the worm. Not in the slots!

. . .

FIFY

I used it today to remove a cork that might have been 110 years old and that completely disintegrated when I removed it. A couple of tine pieces of the cork broke off, but otherwise it was perfect.

My advice is that if you have it, use it often. Do not say to yourself, “This wine is not so old; it doesn’t need the Durand.” I forget some times but if a wine is 10+ year old, use the Durand, and sometimes I regret not using it on even younger bottles.

Indeed… once you own it, the “cost per pull” comes down with every usage. I’d much rather wonder if I needed to use the Durand than be upset that I didn’t.

[MatthewT]

This is hilarious, I’ve been using this wrong for 2 years. I have been putting the blades into the holes which is usually very hard to do and get the blades into the cork. It still has worked 90% of the time.

[TGigante]

This is hilarious, I’ve been using this wrong for 2 years. I have been putting the blades into the holes which is usually very hard to do and get the blades into the cork. It still has worked 90% of the time.

What did you do the other 10% of the time?

[MatthewT]

This is hilarious, I’ve been using this wrong for 2 years. I have been putting the blades into the holes which is usually very hard to do and get the blades into the cork. It still has worked 90% of the time.

What did you do the other 10% of the time?

Cork broke. I always got it in but not always 100% of the way down.

[TGigante]

This is hilarious, I’ve been using this wrong for 2 years. I have been putting the blades into the holes which is usually very hard to do and get the blades into the cork. It still has worked 90% of the time.

What did you do the other 10% of the time?

Cork broke. I always got it in but not always 100% of the way down.

You should be good to go now. Durand is as close to money as you can get.

[MatthewT]

What did you do the other 10% of the time?

Cork broke. I always got it in but not always 100% of the way down.

You should be good to go now. Durand is as close to money as you can get.

I just realized my last post is a pretty good #ThatsWhatSheSaid

[MatthewT]

Did this today, the right way, for the first time! And it worked super easily. Thanks again to this thread!

[Jeff_M1]

This is hilarious, I’ve been using this wrong for 2 years. I have been putting the blades into the holes which is usually very hard to do and get the blades into the cork. It still has worked 90% of the time.

LOL

I’m amazed this worked going in that way.

[MatthewT]

This is hilarious, I’ve been using this wrong for 2 years. I have been putting the blades into the holes which is usually very hard to do and get the blades into the cork. It still has worked 90% of the time.

LOL

I’m amazed this worked going in that way.

What I would do was not screw the corkscrew all the way down so the tongs still fit - usually if it was all the way down impossible to get tongs in the holes, lol. I kind of blame the company for even putting the holes there. It’s their fault!

[Jeff_M1]

This is hilarious, I’ve been using this wrong for 2 years. I have been putting the blades into the holes which is usually very hard to do and get the blades into the cork. It still has worked 90% of the time.

LOL

I’m amazed this worked going in that way.

What I would do was not screw the corkscrew all the way down so the tongs still fit - usually if it was all the way down impossible to get tongs in the holes, lol. I kind of blame the company for even putting the holes there. It’s their fault!

I would think this would bend the crap out of the tongs too.

[MatthewT]

LOL

I’m amazed this worked going in that way.

What I would do was not screw the corkscrew all the way down so the tongs still fit - usually if it was all the way down impossible to get tongs in the holes, lol. I kind of blame the company for even putting the holes there. It’s their fault!

I would think this would bend the crap out of the tongs too.

Funny you say that, I was very worried I ruined them after realizing my error. But I think they are fine.