need to replace a friend

Pavel Tchichikov

Pavel Tchichikov

Pavel Tchichikov
my trusty ah-so of (at least) 20 years met its doom last night due to a combination of a resealed composite cork and operator error

to paraphrase roy batty, most cork screws would not believe the bottles this device opened over the years

it was also a contributor, in collaboration with the inside portion of a cheap screw pull, to a homemade forerunner of durand years before such a thing was produced, and continued in this role admirably to this day (which is why no need for a durand around here)

it could have been dumb luck, but i must have paid around $12 way back when for what turned out to be an ah-so of excellent quality as judged by its track record - right tension, blade length/thickness, etc.

any recommendations for a well-priced replacement that you can vouch for, with older/imperfect corks? thanks!
 
I've never considered the matter!

Looking around there are an amazing number of makers of ah-sos. Peugeot makes one, and it gets good reviews, but it costs as much as a Durand. I think the people calling themselves Primoxe should consider getting a new name. Many Reddit'ers recommend low-end models but that might be just because they're inexpensive, not because they're good. Though, I suppose, if you buy one for $6 and it breaks then shed no tears and buy another....
 
My Monopol is at least 30 years old. If still made the same way, I highly recommend even if I typically use the Durand these days. It is a noticeably better Ah So than that portion of the Durand.
 
I'm a fan of the old Irish made Screwpulls, as long as you clamp the forks in your hand. But for oldies, Durand.
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
My Monopol is at least 30 years old. If still made the same way, I highly recommend even if I typically use the Durand these days. It is a noticeably better Ah So than that portion of the Durand.
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Looks like a very nice option! I presume the difference between their alloy steel and die cast zink/steel versions is not in the functional part of the ah-so and only affects appearance/feel, no? If that's the case, the cheaper version may be advisable - in line with the subject matter of this post, those who object to the finish on my ah-so will also be replaced.
 
I purchased two waiter corkscrews from Trader Joe’s a number of years ago (maybe 10?) for $1.99. They’ve been totally reliable. I have a Durand, but certainly understand hesitating due to the cost. Prior to the current political situation, I bought a couple of knock-offs from Temu. $18 each delivered. I take one to jeebusses (is jeebi the plural of jeebus?). If something happens, no big deal. The genuine article stays at and is used only at home.

I’ve never felt I needed anything but those.
 
I've used a Franmara ah-so for at least 15 years at this point. I think it was around $10 when I got it. No good ancedotes comparing it against other makers, but I've never felt I needed a different one. I do have a Durand, but rarely reach for it.
 
originally posted by Michael Lewis:
I've used a Franmara ah-so for at least 15 years at this point. I think it was around $10 when I got it. No good ancedotes comparing it against other makers, but I've never felt I needed a different one. I do have a Durand, but rarely reach for it.
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You use just an ah-so for older bottles? I’ve pushed too many corks in or have them crumble on the way out and leave cork behind in the bottle neck or the wine itself. You’re either more skilled than I am or more lucky than me.
 
originally posted by Everett Bandman:
originally posted by Michael Lewis:
I've used a Franmara ah-so for at least 15 years at this point. I think it was around $10 when I got it. No good ancedotes comparing it against other makers, but I've never felt I needed a different one. I do have a Durand, but rarely reach for it.
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You use just an ah-so for older bottles? I’ve pushed too many corks in or have them crumble on the way out and leave cork behind in the bottle neck or the wine itself. You’re either more skilled than I am or more lucky than me.
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Depends on your conception of what constitutes an older bottle. I can typically get away with only an ah-so for anything within 30-35 years from vintage. Older than that I agree a Durand is safer, but even then it depends on the condition of the cork and comfort level - sometimes an ah-so is just fine. I don't have many bottles older than 30-35 years from vintage anyway.
 
I use the rule of 15 with a Durand. Better safe than sorry. It’s a must with wines from Ridge from the ‘00s decade. For whatever reason, the corks used then have a tendency to break using a conventional corkscrew.
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
I use the rule of 15 with a Durand. Better safe than sorry. It’s a must with wines from Ridge from the ‘00s decade. For whatever reason, the corks used then have a tendency to break using a conventional corkscrew.
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I started off making the Durand mandatory on >20 year old bottles, but I am down to 15 now myself.
 
Wow, can't say it has ever been an issue using a regular ah-so on a 15-20 year old bottle. In fact, sometimes I feel downright silly after having used a regular ah-so on those when the cork comes out looking pristine and obviously a plain, old, double-hinged corkscrew would have worked just fine. But I suppose there is no harm in being cautious if you've got the time.
 
as a restaurant employee working the floor as the wine guy, I don't know how many times i've had a distraught server come to me to fix things because the cork had busted off with still some in the neck. in these instances, occasionally it would have more appropriate to use a ah-so, but nearly all the time, when they'd hand me the bottle and the corkscrew, there was another full turn before the corkscrew would have bottomed out, giving the cork a perfect opportunity to break. a habit that I was unable to break them of.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg: I feel like a corkscrew with a wider helix would decrease breakage instances and I don't know why nobody's made one yet.
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Keith, I have a Laguiole with a wider screw and it is a royal hassle...

1) often hard to insert;
2) often hard to remove from the cork;
3) sometimes won't screw all the way in without starting to spin the cork; and
4) sometimes seems to damage the cork because of its greater size in the tight space.

I like my other Laguiole MUCH better.

. . . . Pete
 
originally posted by robert ames:
as a restaurant employee working the floor as the wine guy, I don't know how many times i've had a distraught server come to me to fix things because the cork had busted off with still some in the neck. in these instances, occasionally it would have more appropriate to use a ah-so, but nearly all the time, when they'd hand me the bottle and the corkscrew, there was another full turn before the corkscrew would have bottomed out, giving the cork a perfect opportunity to break. a habit that I was unable to break them of.
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Yes, user error is an exception, of course. But I cannot be responsible for that, and I was assuming the comrades on this bored have long ago mastered the proper technique.
 
originally posted by Michael Lewis:
originally posted by robert ames:
as a restaurant employee working the floor as the wine guy, I don't know how many times i've had a distraught server come to me to fix things because the cork had busted off with still some in the neck. in these instances, occasionally it would have more appropriate to use a ah-so, but nearly all the time, when they'd hand me the bottle and the corkscrew, there was another full turn before the corkscrew would have bottomed out, giving the cork a perfect opportunity to break. a habit that I was unable to break them of.
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Yes, user error is an exception, of course. But I cannot be responsible for that, and I was assuming the comrades on this bored have long ago mastered the proper technique.
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they have, but as i was contemplating the exchange above about occasionally pushing corks in, i couldn't dig up sufficient data either to blame the quality of the specific ah-so in use at the time or the number of bottles consumed up to that point on the same evening :)
 
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