Okay I have been wondering for a while and now I have to ask. Aside from Frenchy and his love of wine, what are you people using your corkscrews for on your SAKs? Now I did see an episode of McGiver where he drilled his SAK corkscrew in to a wall and then used it as a hold for scaling the wall, but somehow I doubt the people of ETS are attempting that. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It's useful for holding the little eyeglass screwdriver.

Like it or not, even Frenchy might not need his corkscrew in a few years time. A lot of the new world vinters are using screw caps* (or even worse, plastic cork-like stoppers) instead of corks. Mainly to save money on corkage/spoilage.
Quite a lot of the French vinters still cling to tradition, but economics will surely outweigh any snob value attached to the humble, endangered cork.

* They don't call it "screw caps" - sounds to common - but I can't remember the true word. It amounts to the same product though.

Took me a bit. But it seems this has been discussed to death in this thread.

no comment !

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Cork comes from a species of oaktree. It is a renewable resource. The harvesters get to work outside in the sunshine. Plastic is a petrochemical product produced inside concrete buildings under flourescent lighting. I never came to terms with the 20th century, and now this 21st aesthetic insult. <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> I have been slowly cache'ing a modest collection of decent wines. They have corks and eventually I will buy a fancy sommallier's tool with decorker and blade to cut the foil on a long chain. It will go nicely with my mushroom hunter's knife and picnic basket Opinel. To paraphrase Charles Heston " FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS." <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

The corkscrew is also useful for untying knots in small to medium diameter cordage...

M

Very interesting and entertaining. Thanks for bringing that old thread to my attention. Now of course I am opening the only bottle of red wine in the house. Suddenly I got a craving... imagine that. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I don't own a SAK with a corkscrew but I have some nice corkscrews in my kitchen drawer which dispatched the cork quite well. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

You have my sympathies...
Culture is slowly being replaced by economics...
Got me looking for a quote.

"The Alliance for Progress is an alliance between one millionaire and many beggars."

Fidel Castro (1926– )

I think that fits.

California wine .... with a real cork. Just FYI. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A corkscrew's still used to pull a cork, isn't it?

dont they call them twist tops or something close to that?

im not a big wine drinker but it is good to have for company especially, they need to keep the cork its just not the same otherwise.

just like a "box of wine" never sounds right.

AFAIK, there are very good californian wines .....
... and bad french wines !

I'm not much of a connoisseur of red wines : for instance, I don't like Bordeaux wines, even great ones.
I prefer a Brouilly or a Saumur Champigny, easy wines.
What I really like are a bit mellow and fruity wines like late harvested Gew?rtztraminer, Juran?on, Pacherenc, Coteaux du Layon....
Sauternes is too sweet for my taste... but if the only bottle you have when I come, it will do..... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Care (my S.O.) and I went to a local wine tasteing event - NY Finger Lakes region produces some great wines, too.

Anyways, we're tasteing a new wine by a respected local maker who was very enthusiastic over his new vino. I took a sniff, swirled it to check the color, etc, and then sipped it and swished it around in my mouth. As I followed up the wine with a wine cracker to clear my palate, I said to Care, "Almost as good as Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill."

Needless to say, neither Care nor the maker saw my humor...

M <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I'm not that fond of Sauternes either. I am also not a great lover of blue cheese.....
but....take a bite of Roquefort and then a large mouthful of Sauternes and then chew! It tastes wonderful. A highly recommended mix, if a rather expensive one.

.... same with Stilton cheese and Port wine ....

Especially with good Port wine ... I guess I still have one or two bottles of 1957 Port, in my basement ... well.... at least, I hope so .... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
If not, a 1975 vintage will have to do...

Brian:

See the second paragraph of this post I made, on a related subject, to understand why I consider a corkscrew MANDATORY for the survival of the species. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

.....CLIFF

I posted this on a previous thread. The corkscrew on the SAK in my wife's FAK saved the day at her work picnic/BBQ.
No one else had one and she retrived the SAK and impressed everyone.

I think you mean CHARLTON HESTON ?

No offense guys but I have been caught with a bottle of wine and no corkscrew many times and it has never ruined the day. I have always just pushed the cork through and into the bottle. Maybe you guys like the option to recork your wine bottles... I finish mine. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />