Corkscrews: National characteristics

The Germans rarely used other than the centre worm and often combined this with an inventive use of springs and ball bearings. In 1882, Karl Wienke of Rostock, Mecklenburg, conceived of using a knife-like handle as a lever. Known affectionately as the waiter’s friend, it is still the essential tool of a sommelier worldwide. The development of an articulated lever makes this model even easier to use as the cork is extracted in two stages, keeping it more upright and less likely to break.