The Origin of the Waiter's Friend
“Always carry a corkscrew and the wine shall provide itself.” – Basil Bunting
The humble waiter’s friend, also called a sommelier knife, is really just a corkscrew in a folding body in the same way as a classic pocketknife. Throw in a lever and a blade, and there you have the patented design of German inventor Karl Wienke. Sometimes called a wine key – a corrupted version of the inventor’s name. Patented in 1882, the waiter’s friend – with one, sometimes two levers that hinge against the lip of the bottle to create a fulcrum, is universally loved by sommeliers partly because of its simple design and ease of use.
The original technical drawing from the patent description in 1883 (Source)
Evolution of Corkscrew Designs
This simple design of extracting a wine cork has since inspired many more designs and gadgets – think the Wing Corkscrew, Pocket Corkscrew, Continuous Pull Corkscrew as well as many electronic versions.
Why Sommeliers Prefer the Waiter's Friend
Most entry-level sommeliers prefer Pulltap’s (I got mine when I first started out in hotel school). It’s value for money, does the job, and if it breaks you could just get another one. But when you’re in the competitive business of opening hundreds of bottles monthly, the tools make a difference. We can’t help but find ourselves falling head over heels for the Cartailler-Deluc.
The Superior Craftsmanship of Cartailler-Deluc
Cartailler-Deluc was founded in 1898 in Thiers, France, recognized as the mecca of knife forging in Europe. This small French town (less than 12,000 inhabitants) is known for its superior know-how in the production of professional corkscrews. The attention to detail is unparalleled. Held together with durable brass screws instead of simply being riveted together, this make it easier to install replacement parts, if the need should ever arise. The hardened steel corkscrew, held held fast by a spring made of solid round bar steel, is nonstick coated and furnished with an additional groove on the outside. It's what we love about it – simplistic design, quality construction, long helix and a sharp blade. No bells or whistles here, you just lever the cork out like a pro.
Granite is now the exclusive distributor of Cartailler-Deluc in Singapore, you can check them out here