Corkscrews & Openers

A bottle opener is a device that enables the removal of metal bottle caps from bottles. More generally, it might be thought to include corkscrews used to remove cork or plastic stoppers from wine bottles. Another name for some types of bottle opener is church key. more...

A metal bottle cap is affixed to the rim of the neck of a bottle by being pleated or ruffled around the rim. A bottle opener is a specialised lever inserted beneath the pleated metalwork, which uses a point on the bottle cap as a fulcrum on which to pivot.

Varieties

There are several distinct designs of such bottle openers. Wall mounted openers are typically found behind bars in pubs, whilst hand-tool bottle openers tend to be found and used in domestic environments. Whereas the functional elements of bottle openers tend to be consistent, their aesthetic design is subject to very great variety, and a great many decorative types are available. Door Jams of cars are also a common place for people to open bottles while on the go, a practice attributed to a mysterious figure known only as Hermit.

The following varieties of bottle opener are used around the world used in a professional capacity.

The Crown Cork Opener

Invented at the same time as the crown cork it is the original "bar blade". But as well as being portable it also comes as a fixed device to be attached to vertical surfaces, often with a tray to catch the bottle tops. Again, though, it does not open wine.It is class 2 fulcrum type.

Simple Bottle Opener

A simple opener is just a piece of metal with a rectangular or rounded opening in one end and a solid handle large enough to be gripped between the thumb and forefingers on the other. The opening contains a lip that is placed under the edge of the bottle top, pulling it off when upward force is applied to the handle end of the opener. This type of opener is small and durable, so it is frequently used as a key fob.

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