The Virtual Corkscrew Museum's Daily Newspaper

Christmas Shopping for Leverpulls

Wirtz, Virginia - In their 1989 catalog the Wine Spectator offered two bar mounted corkscrews, two waiters' friends, a table model Screwpull and the Leverpull. The Screwpull and Leverpull were invented by the late Herb Allen and set the standard for corkscrews for years to come. As the Wine Spectator says "a corkscrew close to perfection." In 1989 they offered it for $90.00 with these comments: "Two smooth strokes are all it takes to successfully operate the Leverpull. Swinging the handle down drives the screw perfectly into the cork. Another swing extracts the cork with ease."

In the past couple of years, many similar corkscrews have found their way into the marketplace in prices ranging from $7.99 and up. We sent our Christmas corkscrew shoppers to the Internet to track down a few of these. Here are sixteen of them with the sellers advertising copy and links to the sources (links are active as of this date):

	Screwpull Professional Lever Corkscrew MSRP: $160.00 Our Price: $139.99 Acclaimed efficient triple coated worm and lever action ensure a lifetime of wine openings. $139.99 from http://www.cooksworld.com/
	Works like magic Push down, pull up and PRESTO!—the cork is out of the bottle! Push down, pull up again and SHAZAM!—the cork is off the corkscrew! Opens any-size wine bottle In high-luster black or blue finish All gear teeth made of hardened metal Mechanism tested for 20,000 cork pulls by independent laboratory* One-year Warranty Handy storage tray holds Houdini Corkscrew and separate foil cutter. $29.95 from http://www.ekitchengadgets.com/
	Deluxe Wine Pull. Elegant yet practical, this tool makes opening bottles of wine effortless. Simply press down on the lever and the non-stick steel screw burrows quickly to the center of the cork. Lift up on the lever and even the most stubborn or fragile corks glide out smoothly. Push the lever down again to expel the cork in one easy motion. $54.95 from http://www.overstock.com/
	The Professional Quick Pull Lever-style Corkscrew (model CS37-002) offers the durability of a professional-style lever corkscrew at an unheard-of price. This cork screw features metal handles and lever, plus all-metal gears for years of dependable service. Plus, you even get a display stand, foil cutter, and spare worm (the actual "screw" part of the corkscrew) included inside the attractive gift box. $39.95 from http://www.compactappliance.com/
	Lever Action Corkscrew Features View All Fox Run Craftsman Bar/Wine Pulls a cork in 3 seconds flat! Releases the cork in one simple motion High tech construction resists cork breakage Hardened steel Teflon coated screw $7.99 from http://www.kitchencollection.com/
	Ergonomically designed soft-grip/comfort grip handle. Minimal effort to pull corkscrew. Non-stick screw worm. Foil cutter included. 1550 Cuisena $19.98 from http://thegadgetsource.com/
	Quick Silver Corkscrew The sleek, ergonomic shape is designed for effortless, self-pulling action. The big difference between Quick Silver™ and other corkscrews, however, is the addition of a chrome lever and two additional accessories. The lustrous chrome design is die-cast and zinc-plated to give it the extra weight needed for better leverage. Works on all sizes and types of wine bottles. Strong non-stick coated screw will not damage cork. The Quick Silver™ set includes corkscrew, foil cutter and a display base that can double as a wine bottle coaster. $64.99 from http://store.yahoo.com/thewinecellarsonline/index.html
	The Rabbit pulls a cork in 3 seconds flat, then automatically ejects the cork from the corkscrew. Comes complete with a handsome storage case along with its sidekick, the Rabbit Foil Cutter. Deluxe Rabbit has all the features of the original rabbit including hardened metal gear teeth and User-friendly ergonomic design but adds extra heft with Die-cast metal gripping handles and top lever handle. $79.00 from http://store.superiorchef.com
	Wine Mastique, the world’s smartest, easiest corkscrew. Now you can open any wine bottle in seconds. Just tip the neck of the bottle with the arms of Wine Mastique and pull the lever. The corkscrew threads through the cork and anchors in place securely. Just lift the lever to uncork the bottle, and your wine is ready to enjoy. No more painful twisting and tugging, and no more broken corks. Sug. price: $29.99 Your price: $19.99 from http://www.asseenontvandmore.com/
	Sauto Lever Model Cork Remover - Open any wine bottle in seconds with this ergonomically designed lever style corkscrew. Just one quick swing of the handle effortlessly removes the cork. No more struggling and twisting and pieces of cork in the wine. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Retail Price : 99.95 from http://www.sell.com/
	Wyndham House™ Cork Screw Nothing opens a vintage bottle of wine like the Wyndham House™ Cork Screw. Easy and comfortable to use, you will never struggle opening a bottle again. Pull lever toward you and the corkscrew enters the cork like butter. Push away and cork comes out just as easy. Pull toward you again, lift lever and cork falls from the corkscrew. And best of all, say goodbye to broken corks! $8.68 from http://www.1trading.us/
	Bonjour Lever Corkscrew Quantity: Open your favorite bottle of wine like a professional sommelier with the Bonjour Lever Corkscrew. This easy-to-use corkscrew features a contemporary lever-style design that extracts corks in seconds and a rubberized handle that lets you keep a firm grip on the situation. The lever's quick release mechanism enables quick and easy cork removal from the non-stick stainless steel worm (screw). Works on any cork including synthetic, composite and natural. No. 12100. Imported. 6Hx1-1/2Wx7D". $39.95 from http://www.target.com
	Insta-Pull Lever Corkscrew It’s the gift that any wine-lover will appreciate. The Insta-pull has revolutionized the corkscrew world - a pull of the handle lifts the cork from its bottle instantly. Try this once, and you will never want to use anything else... The specially designed Insta-pull Wine Opener is recognized for its impeccable design, its non-slip comfortable grip and ease of operation. Comes complete with foil-cutter and replacement worm. New model with all metal gears! Special Price: $24.99 from http://www.wine.com/
	Hedaiya Lever Corkscrew The Lever Corkscrew is a must for anyone wanting to get into a bottle of wine with very little effort and in less than three seconds flat. Covered in a hugely tactile matt black rubbery stuff and with some intriguing knobbly bits on the handle, the Pull-It is a dead cool and lightning fast corkscrew. Ergonomic design, slick engineering and most importantly, rapid wine access. Oh, and it comes with a free foil cutter. Price: $53.00 from http://www.hadaiya.com
	Opening a bottle of wine has never been easier. The simple 3 way action uncorks the bottle in seconds. Constructed from polycarbonate, zinc alloy and hardened steel Teflon coated screw. Metro "Arcosteel" Corkscrew $14.99 from http://www.graveyardmall.com/ or you can go to Wal-Mart and buy it for $16.94.
	Master Classic Corkscrew Pull cork in 3 seconds flat Automatically releases cork A full-bodied appearance with soft-touch handles Ergonomic design Includes foil cutter and replacement screw $29.95 from http://store.yahoo.com/tfn/maclco.html

You are apt to find display stands full of these for the holiday season at your local grocery store, department store, or wine shop. Also a search of the ebay auction website will turn up dozens.

News Index