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Henshall corkscrews all originate from the World's Named after the inventor - The Reverend Samuel Henshall, a vicar from Oxfordshire, England. Samuel Henshall sent a letter to Birmingham Industrialist & entrepreneur Mathew Boulton to ask him to help him manufacture a corkscrew of simple form but with a revolutionary button added below the shank & above the worm to enable a smooth extraction of the cork. It sparked Boulton's interest & he agreed for the Reverend to visit his Soho Manufactory to spend time with his workforce to make the design a reality. Over the coming months the patent was produced, in two forms, one being larger for quart sized bottles. Each example was stamped on the button "OBSTANDO PROMOVES, SOHO PATENT". Obstado Promoves meaning - By standing firm one makes advancement & Soho Patent relating to Mathew Boulton's Soho Manufactory. |
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Above: The two original Henshall corkscrews in all their glory. Henshall also patented a compound version of there were problems manufacturing these corkscrews. However at least one example has been found, in very good condition to boot. I'm forever hopeful that one day I'll find one, maybe you will too. |
The Henshall design has been copied successfully for the subsequent 200 years. Examples surface with makers names around the button similar to Henshall's original patent. Other examples have been found with a variety of handles such as bone, ivory & a variety of woods. Fancy shanks, petalled buttons. The addition of folding blades or hidden spikes are also within collections of corkscrew collectors. As with all corkscrews collected - condition is king. Many turn up in poor condition with short worms & handles badly broken. A discerning collector takes time to find examples that haven't had a troubled life. |
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A stunning collection of Henshall corkscrews which date from the early 19th century onwards. |