www.CorkscrewCollectors.com

It is a corkscrew collector tradition that every year a picture of six of your best corkscrews is posted. So I made this page so that corkscrew collectors can post their best sixes. If you would like to show off your collection then email me a picture of your best six for the year.

Our Best Six For 2007

1st is a J.A. Henckels bar set from Germany. All the handles are stag horn with marked sterling endcaps. Includes a frame corkscrew with locking mechanism, bottle opener, jigger, and box.

2nd is a rare art deco version of the Champion bar-mounted corkscrew in perfect condition. Marked "CHAMPION REG. US PAT OFF" as well as "MADE IN USA".

3rd is a very special corkscrew from the estate of the late Honorable Ambassador Philip Habib who died in 1992. It is a marked "picnic" type corkscrew made by Kirk Pewter, probably in the 1970's, engraved with the monogram PCH. The marking reads: KIRK PEWTER 228. The condition is very good. The total length closed is 4 5/8"(117mm). It comes in a fitted case with the Kirk logo on the inside of the cover. The following biographical notes were given to me when this corkscrew came into my possession: Philip Habib (1920-1992) was a career diplomat, whose accomplishments spanned 40 years. After serving in WWII he was the US Ambassador to South Korea, Assistant Secretary of State, Under-Secretary of State, US Special Envoy to the Paris Peace Talks and the Camp David Peace Accords, as well as many other diplomatic missions. He single-handedly brokered the peace between Israel and Lebanon during the 1982 conflict, for which President Reagan awarded Habib the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that can be given to a US citizen. He was also given the Legion d'Honneur by France and a host of other honoraria from all over the world. After retiring from the State Department, he taught at Stanford University, and in 2006, the US Post Office issued a stamp in his honor. Warren Zevon wrote a song about him called "The Envoy" from his album of the same name. The US State Department has a room named after him and the Korean Ambassador's residence is "Habib House". In their obituary, the New York Times called him "the outstanding professional diplomat of his generation". This corkscrew is important to his history because he was a devoted gourmet and oenophile (wine connoisseur). Ambassador Habib was a member of La Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, the most exclusive and famous wine appreciation society in the world and was presented the sommelier's cup.

4th is a Walker stag handled corkscrew in perfect condition. It has a Sterling endcap with the initials CTS. We have not yet discovered who the itinials and this corkscrew previously belonged to.

5th is a very rare Crosby Pup corkscrew. It is believed that Bing Crosby produced around 60 of these corkscrews to give to his closest friends. This one is in perfect condition. For more details on this corkscrew, check out the Crosby Pup story in the About Me section.

6th is a rare traveling set. Has a leather case stamped "Couvert de VOYAGE", ivory handled knife, ivory handled fork with corkscrew, leather inner case marked "MAISON ALLEMAND MARSEILLE NICE", and a faceted crystal cup. If you are interested in this item then please view the variant that I currently have for sale here.

Our Best Six For 2006

1st A 19th Century Prosthetic Arm With Corkscrew, Fork, Hook, and Wooden Hand With A Spring Loaded Thumb Attachments. It Is A Left Arm, So The Corkscrew Has A Left Hand Screw. I Recently Acquired This One Of A Kind Corkscrew From Alf Erickson. He Included This One In His Best Six For 2002. Alf Had This To Say About The Arm, "Sometime during the 19th century a Frenchman needed a left arm ... an arm that was to serve as the one that was never given to him at birth or the one that was raped from his body in some long forgotten way. But, of course, we are not concerned with whether the fellow lost his limb in an industrial accident, via a birth defect, in a duel or because of a fierce animal bite. The fact that his stump needed something is enough for our purposes. All this aside, the fitting-plate close to the artificial wrist is brokered with a 180 degree rotating non-swiveling tightening device that allows the user to affix useful attachments to the artificial arm."

2nd A Rare 19th Century Gilt General's Eating Set. The Set Includes A Small Roundlet Corkscrew, Fork Attachment, Spoon Attachment, Two Bases, and The Case. Each Utensil Can Be Unscrewed Completely From The Handle. The Handles Can Then Be Placed Inside Each Other To Fit Inside The Compact Case. Each Item Is Engraved With Four Different Symbols and The Initials H.W.D. The Case Is Lined With Blue Velvet and Purple Silk. This Picnic Set Was Made In London, England.