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Bottle opener

See under corkscrew.

Device (also plug puller) for removing corks from the neck of a bottle. The cork became the most common bottle stopper in Europe from the middle of the 17th century. Initially, the corks were not driven all the way into the neck of the bottle, making removal somewhat easier. The first primitive devices were small, pointed ice spikes, which were often used to remove the cork piece by piece. All corkscrews serve the same purpose, namely to remove the cork from the neck of the bottle as easily, quickly and cleanly as possible without damaging it. An important criterion is that no cork residue should get into the bottle in the process. This is not only for aesthetic reasons, but the cork could also be contaminated with bacteria. Therefore, the spiral should not pierce the cork or come into contact with the wine, as metal can cause a chemical reaction or metallic taste.

T-corkscrew

The T-corkscrew, named after its shape, is considered the oldest and most common variant and consists only of a spiral attached to the cross-handle. The corkscrew was first mentioned in 1681, the English term "corkscrew" was coined around 1720. Until then, "Worm" or "Bottlescrew" was also commonly used. If the spiral has a so-called "core" as in the picture on the right (so that a match fits into the inner coil), it is called a helix. The soul prevents the cork from crumbling and getting into the wine.

Korkenzieher - T-Korkenzieher ohne Seele und mit Seele

Bell corkscrew

In the second half of the eighteenth century, there were the first bell corkscrews in which the pulling process was assisted by the use of a threaded rod. The Englishman Samuel Hershaw registered his patent in 1795. A small disc located above the spiral stopped the screw-in movement of the corkscrew into the cork and set the cork in rotation. The resulting reduced friction of the cork on the neck of the bottle allowed the cork to be pulled gently. An improved version was developed in 1802 by his compatriot Edward...

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Technischer Lehrer, staatl. geprüfter Sommelier, Hotelfachschule Heidelberg

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