Bar tools minus the bar stools...............

[Ray S]

Continuing on in the series of tools used in the kitchen(and elsewhere)we come to the lowly bar knife.Usually consisting of a small folding blade either plain or serrated,a folding cork screw,and a device for removing the metal top of a beverage bottle and also puncturing the top of a beverage can.It may also have an additional curved blade for cutting the foil on a champagne bottle.
These tools were very popular before the advent of the twist-off cap and the tab top found on virtually every type of beverage can now in existence.They were popular for advertising various alcoholic beverages and were given away to customers for that very purpose.
Nowadays they are likely to be found only in places that serve champagnes and wine that requires a foil to be cut to open the bottle and in the backs of kitchen drawers with other cast off tools.
There is very little interest in collecting these knives for some reason.Most aren't particularly useful other than their intended use but I find ALL manner of knives fascinating and so I wound up with a few of them. A couple are(to me anyway) unique:
The Bonsa pocket knife with folding can opener and unusual handle finish.
The German model with the patent mark and folding can opener.
The Silver Spray Beer model that was found inside a 1920's era sign painter's kit I bought.
Hope you enjoy the post and as it will take several posts to complete please hold your comments(if any)until it is complete.

[Ray S]

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[zrxoa1]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SteveC]

Nice collection of bar tools !   

[Poncho65]

 

[Ray S]

Thought I would add a few more to the pile. Also noticed that I didn't include a picture of the Silver Spray Beer one.These are mostly regular pocket knives that have a cork screw as well.The fire truck doesn't really have a knife but has all the bar tools you will ever need. The Hickok bar tool has a small knife blade at the end of the cap lifter.
#1 is the misplaced Silver Spray Beer opener.
#2 thru #4 is the aforementioned fire truck. The tools are:martini shaker(tank on the back);shot glass(bucket)cap lifter(shovel)swizzle sticks(the four hose sections);ice tongs(the ladder)and the corkscrew which is connected to the steering wheel.

[Ray S]

Mo' pics.
#1 Daniel Peres Solingen
#2 Marked USA;probably made by Ideal or Imperial.
#3 John Brookes Sheffield.
#4 Rostsicher Fr. Stotz Solingen

[Ray S]

Still mo'
#1 Unmarked but etched,"The Great United States Cookie & Plywood Co." Thought this one was funny until I found out a,"cookie" is a wooden disc used to fit two pieces of wood together.
#2 Marked,"Gusstahl" which I believe stands for Cast Steel.
#3 H.Boker with pearl handles.The cap lifter blade is broken but still functions.
#4 Hugo Bauermann

[Ray S]

Not finished yet
#1 Howard Bros. with built in cigar trimmer.
#2 J.A.Henckels multi-blade.
#3 Jos. Feist Omega Works
#4 When I first got this knife I thought it was Japanese.Turns out it is Russian made.The price is molded into the handle near the rear.

[Ray S]

Ain't no mo' after this.........
#1 Another Russian knife made before the Bolshevik Revolution(1917)
#2 Early Camillus advertising Dom Benedictine brandy
#3 & #4 A Hickok bar tool in the closed and open position.The small knife blade is at the bottom of the cap lifter;the hammer is for breaking ice;the corkscrew is inside the hammer;the hors d'oeuvres fork is spring loaded to release whatever you pick up with it and the other piece is a swizzle stick.