The Virtual Corkscrew Museum's Weekly Newspaper

Durol's French Patent

On September 27, 1977, the French firm Durol filed for a patent titled "Dispositif de verrouillage et de déverrouillage d'une lame de couteau ou autre outil ou Instrument pliant per rapport & son manche." Patent number 2,403,874 was issued April 20, 1979. The Patent is for a knife with an unlocking and locking blade. Pushing the red button unlocks the knife blade. When unfolded all the way, it locks in place and is again unlocked by pressing the red button. Models were produced in various combinations with corkscrews, screwdrivers, ice picks, bottle openers, scissors, a nail file, and a compass. The drawings show only the knife. Four of seven models offered by the Mouli Manufacturing, the U. S. distributor, included a corkscrew (see brochure below). The two on the left in the photo have a knife blade, corkscrew, bottle opener, ice pick or marlin spike, and screwdriver. The example on the right has a knife, corkscrew, ice pick, and compass. The tools are marked DUROL THIERS BREVETE.

Durol Knives

The Durol Compass

Durol's Patent Drawings

Durol cutlery was founded in 1620 in Celles sur Durolle. They built a new plant in Thiers in 1970.

---

Mouli Manufacturing Corporation

1987 Mouli Manufacturing Brochures

Mouli Manufacturing Corporation distributed the French Durol knife. The firm is located at 1 Montgomery Street, Belleville, New Jersey. The name "Mouli" is a registered trademark issued May 30, 1950 to the applicant Joseph C. Varkala of Washington, D. C. and assigned to Mouli Manufacturing. Varkala filed for the trademark on April 7, 1948 with products listed as food graters, slicers, shredders, and mills.

To see larger pictures of the brochures click photo 1 and photo 2.

News Index