Personalised corkscrew

Create your own personalised corkscrew

What more precious possession for a winelover, than a personalized corkscrew?

Whatever you choose to call it, the corkscrew, bottle opener or ‘tirabouchon’, adapted from the French, is indispensable today, but few know that once it was a sign of social standing.

The first examples of bottle openers appeared in 14th century armories, where they were used to extract cannon balls from cannons, and to clean the barrels of rifles and pistols. In 1680, gunsmiths, Messrs Holtzapffel of Charing Cross, tried to patent the corkscrew design as a bottle opener, which, through its screwing action, could remove the cork from a bo8le with li8le force.

The official patent for a corkscrew was granted in 1700 to the Reverend Samuel Henshall. The first commissions were received from the bourgeoisie, who requested their personalized corkscrews be made from precious materials such as ivory, gold and inlaid silver. 

The personalized bottle opener became a fashionable object, a status symbol, denothing a family’s wealth. But over the years, like all trends, it passed into history and became an everyday object.

Today, the wine corkscrew is found in every home, having lost its an:que symbolism. It’s become the tool for those who have transformed wine into a job. A Sommelier, for example, jealously guards his professional corkscrew and his personalized professional corkscrew during service.

With its unique dedication, a personalized professional corkscrew makes an exclusive, and much appreciated, giY for any Sommelier or wine enthusiast.