Where is the Glasvin of corkscrews?

[HoosJustinG]

I like my Swiss Army one. The actual knife on it is helpful for cheese or other stuff. Victorinox “Wine Master” is the model.

Check this out:Wine Master

[Mike_Evans]

I have a bunch. 2 kitchens, two other rooms where I open wines, in bottle tote bags for various tastings and dinners, and one in my backpack (which comes with me for winery and vineyard work).

Where my Laguiole beats almost everything out the is the long-ish worm with a very sharp tip. An extra 1/4" length would be better. It’s common enough the bottom part of a cork breaks off on someone, staying in place way down in the neck of a bottle. That happened a bit with the original Durand, and often enough here and there. (More likely if the worm doesn’t reach all the way down.) Having the length to reach and the sharpness to pierce through rather than push, you can get that last bit.

The longer worm is one of the reasons I’m a big fan of the Boomerang. Another is that it has a floating hinge point which changes the angle of the leverage so it draws the cork fairly straight even at the end of the pull, avoiding the tendency of corkscrews with a fixed hinge to apply torque to the bottom of the cork. Finally, it doesn’t have a knife so you can fly with it.

Here’s a picture showing the length of the worm next to an original Pulltap’s:

[Troy_Stark]

okay, now we’re talking. these are beautiful and look very functional. price is great too. now i need to find some stateside. thanks!!

Available on Amazon.

Two disqualifying problems with this design:

• the two-step mechanism is hinged rather than sliding. Much more awkward motion and operation.
• the cap opener (if it has one? I can’t tell) also requires unhinging rather than being accessible from the closed corkscrew.

Interesting. I greatly prefer the hinged design over the sliding design.

What are everyone’s thoughts on the material for the worm? Teflon coated nickel vs Stainless? I like the Teflon coated nickel as it seems easier to insert and withdraw, but they do have a tendency to degrade over time. I wonder if there’s a different material that is more durable than the Teflon coated nickel and have a lower coefficient of friction than stainless steel?

[ybarselah]

teflon will eventually erode and i don’t think there’s any real benefit. it should be conical and also with a groove. the two step hinge model is inherently flawed because it’s a moving part and therefore a potential point of failure. the two-step aspect can be easily replaced with an additional wedge shape embedded within thing that you hold to the side of the bottle. another easy aspect to modify and optimize for is the distance between the worm hinge and the hinge for the other part (i really need a name for that). more space between these two hinges = more leverage but requires more power to get started. longer corks require more work than shorter ones, etc.

no need for a bottle cap thing either. but if necessary should be built into the heel.

[Ken_B_r_o_w_n]

A couple of years ago I bought 2 different PullTaps on Amazon to replace all my cheap waiter corkscrews that were in various stages of falling apart.
Both are very solid & perform well. The $7 version has some rougher finishing on the hinged lever component, but the $20 version has nicer finishing. They’re not flashy or stylish so don’t know if they could be considered Glasvin-esque; just inexpensive, very solid & functional.

+1 for Pulltap - it’s the best QPR out of many I’ve tried.

[AF_Bailey]

… distance between the worm hinge and the hinge for the other part (i really need a name for that).

I think the word you’re looking for might be “fulcrum.” At least that’s what I’d call it!

[Jayson_Cohen]

Not really a fulcrum. When the referenced middle portion of the pull arm is engaged with the bottle, there is no force or role that the lower part of the screw plays. So that middle part is not a fulcrum in a classic sense.

[Christopher_Dunn]

I think this pretty much fits the bill. I bought this and can say it has good weight, real wood, and is very sturdy.

Amazon.com

I’m pretty sure I paid $26 for this and it’s on sale for $12 now. Might have to order a few more.

i have a few of those. they are … fine. they fall apart after some use. they’re cheap and better than the free ones you get at the liquor store.

Huh, like after a lot of big events? These are my main corkscrews and have opened a couple thousand bottles with the one in my kitchen drawer, it works fine; it’s just hard on older corks.

I have a lagouile but never use it; I don’t like the single lever design.

Ditto on the Lagouile.

[ybarselah]

if anyone doesn’t want their laguiole en aubrac - send them my way. email pls. i’m sure we can work something out.

[ybarselah]

Not really a fulcrum. When the referenced middle portion of the pull arm is engaged with the bottle, there is no force or role that the lower part of the screw plays. So that middle part is not a fulcrum in a classic sense.

i see that part being called the lever. which i guess makes sense.

[mike_pobega]

Sorry to repeat myself, but have still been thinking of this topic. David does a great glass, I know as I own about a dozen but it’s hard to improve on the corkscrews pictured. I know it’s just a tool, Brent, (lol) but I really enjoy using precision made laguiole openers. Pricey but I’m worth it.

[J.Vizuete]

Design your own corkscrew auction next year?

[Mike_Cohen]

Sorry to repeat myself, but have still been thinking of this topic. David does a great glass, I know as I own about a dozen but it’s hard to improve on the corkscrews pictured. I know it’s just a tool, Brent, (lol) but I really enjoy using precision made laguiole openers. Pricey but I’m worth it.

I have a lagioule knock off. It has the same lever as pictured on the two corkscrews on the left in your top picture. I don’t like that design. It slips off the rim of the bottle sometimes. I like the design of the one on the right.

[John_S]

I am not breaking new ground here but in order of preference:

1. Lagioule en Aubrac is my clear favorite but generally $100-150. Watch ebay as used ones come up for under $100 every now and again. Just learn how to identify the en aubrac version (the bee). I have never broken one.

2. Coutale pocket prestige ($20-$25). Not made nearly as well as the above but gets the job done well and lasts the best of the “hinged” types I have used.

3. Various pulltaps. They will break and misfire but are generally OK for periods of time. Maybe $5 but a huge variety of pricing and quality. I used to buy 5 at a time but just got tired of them breaking, the metal deforming, and slipping off the neck eventually. The Coutale really is much more long lasting so I stopped buying generic pulltaps and have a couple Coutales.

Nothing in the $50 range which is probably the reason for this query.

[ybarselah]

we are 100% aligned JS.

[William_Anzalone]

I’ve had for many years a Legnoart (not sure which one but bought from Wine Enthusiast around 2015 for approximately$ 75) and very recently purchased the Château Laguiole Classic in dark horn ($199 with free engraving).

The Legnoart is very big and heavy but I like the double hinged boot lever. However, over time, the hinges on the Legnoart, specifically the boot lever, become loose. The lever also tends to slip off the bottle when applying pressure to open if I’m not holding the lever tightly towards the bottle. I’ve owned 2, 1 came as a gift and both boot levers became loose. It is also rather large to throw in a wine tote and to bring out at a restaurant. It would not be comfortable in a pocket. However, Legnoart makes many different wine keys and I’m sure there are better, more ergonomically designed wine keys available.

The Laguiole is much smaller but with good weight. All moving parts are tight but not overly tight, like some have mentioned. It’s going to take me some time to get used to the size and single boot lever but I think the Laguiole is going to be my wine key of choice. With the very limited amount of bottles I’ve opened, the weight and balance feels awesome in my hand.

My Legnoart is probably going to be reserved for larger format bottles. I have a Durand for older bottles as well.

[ybarselah]

my Legnoart arrived yesterday and it is comically large. very odd.

[Troy_Stark]

my Legnoart arrived yesterday and it is comically large. very odd.

They have a version called the Roero that probably would suit most people better. It’s labeled wrong on Amazon (mini Ghemme???).

[Al_Osterheld]

I liked the look of the Legnoart but didn’t realize they were that large.

-Al

[ybarselah]

having attempted to open 2 bottles with the Legnoart, i’m convinced it was designed by a sadist. i can’t say it’s the worst corkscrew ever invented because that implies that it can actually be used for the stated purpose, but poorly.

this is a dangerous and unwieldy projectile masquerading as a corkscrew. there is no amount of pressure that will make the lever stick in place around the top of the bottle, and the more pressure you apply, the faster this gigantic tool will fly out of your hand. the worm and blade are both long and sharp. normally good things, but crucial design flaws when attached to this … thing.

if anyone wants it, let me know and i’ll ship it to you. use at your own risk.