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As we reach the end of 2025, I've started looking at which pieces I've acquired during the year that will make my Best Six for 2025. The following piece probably will not be in the running, but it is however a really cool corkscrew and one that I have wanted to add to the collection for a while now. The corkscrew is a small folding multi tool consisting of a corkscrew, bottle opener, and a house key. This version is Sterling silver rather than what I feel is the more often found example of 14k gold, however this is a very rare version because the "key" appendage is a blank and was never set to the original owner's lock set. I'm not sure if I'm ready to key this to my locks, but it would make for a pretty unique key.   
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I was lucky enough to win this one of a kind corkscrew back in November and it finally arrived about a month later. This piece will definitely be a part of my Best Six for 2025. Much of the provenance and descriptions of the engravings can be found below. An impressive and intriguing piece of exceptional historic interest. This rare and interesting four pillar rack and pinion corkscrew was made circa 1831 from materials previously used to build Old London Bridge in 1176. Same provenance as the most expensive corkscrew ever sold at auction. Markings Inscription on the four pillars Made from the iron shoe that was / taken from a pile that was 656 years / in the foundation of Old London Bridge / By J.Ovenston of 72 Gt. (Great) Titchfield St. (Street) London Inscription on brass plaque on the turned wood handle Made from an Oak Pile that 656 years under Old London Bridge. Put down 1176 Taken up 1831 Four markings on the collar
The Corkscrew featured on a BBC Antiques Roadshow Special Edition in the section starting at 15:50. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0026f6y/antiques-roadshow-series-47-16-a-history-of-food       I was fortunate enough to acquire several nice corkscrews in November. The three on the left were from my fellow collector/friend Josef and include an Ivory handled T handle corkscrew with Sterling silver end caps, some kind of tusk T handled corkscrew (possibly walrus), and a stag handled corkscrew with Sterling silver end caps. The three on the top right were eBay finds and include an either ivory or boars tusk corkscrew with carved goat head with glass eyes, a very unusual Sterling silver cellarman corkscrew with a unique engraving design, and a grotesque face man roundlet corkscrew. The final one in the bottom right corner was from ICCA auctions and is a rare T. Curley patent corkscrew. All are welcome additions to the collection. I feel like I say this every year when I start receiving other collector's Best Sixes for the year when there is still a full month left to acquire more corkscrews, but you never know what will turn up in December. Stay tuned, a crown jewel of the collection should be arriving any day now and it will without a doubt be making my Best Six for the year.      My girlfriend and I took a 4 day trip to Indianapolis near the end of October. We explored the city which was full of a mix of old, art deco, and new architecture, visited the state capital building as well as a few museums and of course ate all of the good food including the famous horseradish shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo Steak House. Oh and we did visit a large antique mall which used to be some sort of factory; there were a few corkscrews, but unfortunately nothing worth buying. Fortunately there were corkscrews purchased online waiting for me when I got back.          There were lots of good finds in October including an Ivory handled Excelsior corkscrew, 2 silver overlaid tusk handled corkscrews, a marked Rodgers & sons corkscrew, a carved Indian head corkscrew, carved lion head corkscrew, and a Sterling roundlet corkscrew.      My girlfriend and I took a short weekend trip to Granbury (about an hour 45 minute drive from Dallas) in October. We stayed at an Airbnb right on the main square and happened to be there during Octoberfest weekend. We ate at all of the best restaurants and even made it to a few antique malls where I surprisingly found a corkscrew worth purchasing (a rarity these days).      It's been a while since I've done any blog posts, so I'm going to try to get caught up. I had these nice finds on eBay in September including a very nice Sterling silver handled decorative corkscrew, a couple Syroco bottle openers and corkscrew as well as a gentleman's grooming kit with some interesting family crests.     |
James ZalaznikI'm constantly adding new corkscrews to my collection. Any new finds as well as articles which may be of interest to corkscrew collectors will be posted here. Archives
January 2026
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