Corkscrew Question...

[665ae]

I've noticed that a lot of tools (mainly the "swiss" type tools) have corkscrews.  Anyone ever use the corkscrew as... say... a corkscrew?  (And if so, what were you drinking???)

[Grant Lamontagne]

I use the one on my Spirit and the one on my Juice C2 (as well as other SAKs) fairly often as I am a home wine maker.  I drink a few bottles of wine a week and it's handy to have a good corkscrew within arms reach at all times.  Especially when I am out. 
When I'm at home nowadays I don't use them as often since I have a large automatic contraption that opens corks much faster and easier than any handheld corkscrew.
Def

[665ae]

That's very cool!  What kinds of wine do you make?  I usually go thru a bottle or two a week of Reisling or a sweet Red...

[Grant Lamontagne]

I like robust italian reds like barolos or montepulcianos mostly, but I make a killer icewine too.  I fortify it with brandy which usually brings the alcohol content to around 30%, but it's so sweet you'd never know it till you stood up to get another glass!
Right now I have a reisling on, a cabernet sauvignon and a Chilean cabernet merlot.  Chile had another great year this year, and last year's was the best on record, so I am looking foreward to it.
Def

[665ae]

Ugh... did you say Icewine?  I love that stuff...  Keep me in mind if you just happen to have an extra bottle laying around.  ;D

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well, I make the stuff about 60 bottles at a time- next time you are in NS, make sure you stop in for some!
Def

[Fred]

I'll be ther shortly.Dunno what icewine is but it certainly sounds like good stuff!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Ice wine was started in Germany where they would let the grapes freeze on the vine.  They would then be picked at night, in the dark, possibly to keep them from warming even the slightest, and possibly so the grapes wouldn't see them coming!  They would be crushed immediately and drain the fruit matter from the frozen water, making a natural concentrate.  From there, they would let it warm up and start fermenting.  By removing the water you end up with a higher sugar content per volume, which results in a higher alcohol content.  Icewine usually works out to between 15- 18% alcohol when done naturally.  Of course, when you add brandy to stabilize the fermentation process, that increases it by quite a bit.
The resulting wine is very thick, very rich and very potent.  Because you remove the water, you end up with a much smaller yeild than if you had cranked the stuff out normally.  Icewine is usually somewhat more expensive as a result, and is traditionally served very cold in shot sized wine glasses, and usually with a sweet dessert.
Def

[Fred]

Yup, definitly sounds like good stuff

Who says the internet isn't educational? 

[felinevet]

I don't drink wine and have never used it for that but I don't feel guilty. Having it hold the Mini-Screwdriver and teasing out knots in string and metal chains is good enough for me.

[665ae]

I never thought of using it for knots.  I'm going to have to try that.  I hate knots...

[Sea Monster]

Despite favouring a  , mostly for philosophical reasons, I don't think I used the corkscrew more than a dozen times while I owned that knife.


Anyway, fast forward to now, with my Waiter - it's entirely possible I buy the cheapest hooch with dodgy corks, but I find the Corkscrew a little lacking, and tending to make a mess of things.


Comparing it to my $4 Waiter's Friend Tool thing, it's a much narrower diameter tool.

[Anthony]

Only once did I use the corkscrew to open a bottle of wine.  A SAK corkscrew, a crowbar, and a sturdy work bench actually.

[duckman1975]

Had anyone heard this joke?: "The Swiss Army is the best army to join because they are the only army in the world who's knife have a wine corkscrew built in."
That really cracks me up! I use mine to open bottles all the time and its a great plus holding the mini screw driver, 2x the screw!

[donvito]

Use mine fairly often, I;m more of a white wine drinker myself. My  came in handy on a picnic once. The mini screwdriver gets used from time to time as well. Current edc sak vic tourist (84mm spartan).

[jzmtl]

Funny this thread got bumped up. A few weeks ago I was going to open a bottle of wine and I thought I'd use my SAK instead. As soon as I started to pull the cork I remembered why I quit using this style of opener. I basically held the bottle against floor with one hand and pull on the SAK with all my might, and the cork only came out after top half broken off and a lot of grunting. Anybody weaker than me probably would not be able to pull it out, and I'm not weak to begin with.

[Anthony]

I think some corks are just longer than others and are a pain to get out (if you can) with a Vic corkscrew.  Maybe years ago when that impliment was designed, corks were smaller?

[duckman1975]

Don't have any problems opening wine bottles with the corkscrew of my explorer, just screw it in as deep as possible put the bottle between my legs and pull.

[Benner]

Don't have any problems opening wine bottles with the corkscrew of my explorer, just screw it in as deep as possible put the bottle between my legs and pull.

Same here.  I have used it many times on many different bottles and it has never been a problem and trust me, I AM weak. 

[Mr. Whippy]

I've used it several times on wine bottles.  Other than the 2 lever style cork puller, it's my preferred corkscrew (I've broken off part of the lip of the bottle with the leverage style ones).

That said, if given a choice, I get SAKs with a hook rather than the corkscrew, if I have to choose.

[Benner]

I've used it several times on wine bottles.  Other than the 2 lever style cork puller, it's my preferred corkscrew (I've broken off part of the lip of the bottle with the leverage style ones).

That said, if given a choice, I get SAKs with a hook rather than the corkscrew, if I have to choose.

The hook and the corkscrew aren't anything to do with eachother though?  They can be on the same tool.

[Neil]

Aside from holding the mini screwdriver the only use my corkscrews get these days is pulling up fitted carpets, which they're very good at .

Neil

[J-sews]

Aside from holding the mini screwdriver the only use my corkscrews get these days is pulling up fitted carpets, which they're very good at .

Neil

Ahhh, never thought of that one

[Leatherman123]

Me either, good to know!  I remember seeing my Grandfather take the cotton out of med bottles with one..

[SteveRacer]

Cork (the tree material) became rare and expensive, so unless you're drinking some really vintage stuff, most corks in the range of vino I drink are of the synthetic variety.  They come out easily, nicely, completely.  No broken glass, bits of cork crumb, or bruised ego from repeated attempts.

I would LOVE to somehow retrofit the corkscrew (with the cute nested screwdriver) to a real multitool.  (heh, "swisstool"  )

In the meantime, I've see some success with a coarse drywall screw and MT pliers.  Works well with the new "corks" -- not so well with the older corks made of cork.

A drywall screw is an easy thing to carry, and it has about 2 million other "emergency" uses as well.

-steve

[Roadie]

I would LOVE to somehow retrofit the corkscrew (with the cute nested screwdriver) to a real multitool.  (heh, "swisstool"  )
-steve

The Gerber MP400 has a variety which has a corkscrew, not sure if the mini screwdriver fits it or not though

[jzmtl]

Don't have any problems opening wine bottles with the corkscrew of my explorer, just screw it in as deep as possible put the bottle between my legs and pull.

Same here.  I have used it many times on many different bottles and it has never been a problem and trust me, I AM weak. 

I must suck at open wine bottle lol. 

[duckman1975]

Don't have any problems opening wine bottles with the corkscrew of my explorer, just screw it in as deep as possible put the bottle between my legs and pull.

Same here.  I have used it many times on many different bottles and it has never been a problem and trust me, I AM weak. 

I must suck at open wine bottle lol. 

Just like steveracer said maybe your opening the expensive kind of wine the one with Cork the tree material. Thats why some of the materials are left behind

[NutSAK]

Don't have any problems opening wine bottles with the corkscrew of my explorer, just screw it in as deep as possible put the bottle between my legs and pull.

I've never had a problem using that method either. 

[Gareth]

Don't have any problems opening wine bottles with the corkscrew of my explorer, just screw it in as deep as possible put the bottle between my legs and pull.

I've never had a problem using that method either. 

That works for me and I drink to much wine.   Most vineyards were moving to synthetic "corks" anyway as they are far less likely to let air in and spoil the wine.  I'm seeing a lot more decent bottles using screw-caps as well.