Corkscrews Hidden in Keys

Each year the Canadian Corkscrew Collectors Club solicits and publishes the Best 6 Corkscrews of the year from each of its members. This year I chose to feature figural corkscrews that are hidden in keys. With one of these you could have the key to the cellar and an opener for the bottles in the cellar! Here's my selection.

The while many of the key corkscrews around are fairly ordinary, the three in the lower photograph are a bit more unusual. The top one is a large, heavy brass corkscrew made by the famous Viennese designer Carl Aubock. This one is from about 1920. The center one is made of nicely turned hard wood and is probably French. The bottom sterling silver corkscrew is made by the American silversmith J. F. Fradley & Co., New York. Fradley made sterling holloware, vanity items and novelties from 1873 to 1936.

You might note that most of these have caplifters in the handles (the Aubock one has the caplifter in the key). Back when these were made you needed a tool to open bottles of beer and soda pop, as the screw cap lid for carbonated drinks was not yet invented. Many corkscrews had the bottle opener built in.