glass decanter

Glass  Decanter

glass  decanter

conjure up two moods: the classic luxury of Victorian and Edwardian times, contrasting with the dazzle of the Jazz Age. Either offers a way tolive the past, not just look at it.

Serving wine in a decanter adds style to any formal meal; and cocktail shakers can create a party mood in, literally, a shake. Whether you want to add elegance or fun to your home, you are bound to find something special, whatever your budget.

The stamp of quality

Take time to familiarise yourself with the look and feel of a fine decanter. True Regency decanters are heavy for their size, and the quality and design of the cut-glass pattern are obvious when compared to later examples.

 Decanters from the 1800s to 40s are most desirable, and can be found in a variety of shapes and decoration, including classical-cut designs such as diamonds and 'V'-shapes. Late- Victorian pieces (1880s—90s) are often engraved with exuberant flowers, swirls, leaves, and birds. Prices start at ,£80-100, but the better the decoration and (he quality of the glass, the higher

glass  decanter

the price. Beware of early v 20th-century reproductions inspired by this style        moulding, rather than cutting is common clear glass is brighter and coloured glass may have an ugly tinge.

Jugs and sets 

glass  decanter

Decanters with handles are known as clart jugs some tall elegant

Victorian pieces are made entirely from glass, often with decorative engraving or faceting, and can fetch .£80-200 or more. Bulbous early 20th-century pieces,

made by firms such as Mappin & Webb, with silver mounts, can be worth around £150-500.

glass  decanter

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, decanters were sometimes sold as a lockable boxed set (or 'tantalus'), for storing expensive spirits. Prices start at around £150 to £200.

Novelty decanter sets, particularly those from the 1930s and 50s, can be found for around £100.

glass  decanter

Shaken not stirred

During Prohibition in 1920s and early 30s USA, the only way to render bathtub' gin and bootleg' whiskey drinkable was to sweeten them. So

glass  decanter

cocktails were born. Bar accessories were later invented to accommodate the trend. The most essential accessory was the cocktail shaker. Here, novelty is important, and shape matters more than design. The best examples were produced during the 1920s and 30s and include imaginative forms such as skyscrapers. Such items can fetch £1,000-5,000 or more. If your budget allows (expect to pay £500-1,000 or more), look for rare 'hidden' shakers allegedly used during Prohibition, such as the 'trophy' shaker, where the trophy base turns into the shaker lid.

glass  decanter

A mark of luxury

glass  decanter

Shakers that are marked with names of luxury makers such as Asprey are valuable. Designs in chromed metal

glass  decanter

and copper from the 1930s by the American manufacturer Chase are also popular. Major British makers include Mappin & Webb, Manning Bowman, Kensington, and Chrome Craft. A 1937 promotional Southern Comfort liqueur- bottle-shaped shaker by Chrome Craft can fetch up to £200. American shakers tend to be plated in chrome, and British shakers in silver.

Plain and simple

Less expensive shakers from the 1940s and 50s were made in anodised aluminium and glass and they now cost about £30, while plain glass and silver-plated 1930s shakers start at around £30—50. Those with recipes printed on are desirable, provided that all the wording can be read.

Corkscrews

Corkscrews

Corkscrews


Corkscrews. bottle openers, and  pours
 can he plain, inventive, or quirky, and their intriguing mechanisms and decorative appearance appeal to many collectors. Corkscrews, in particular, are available in a huge range of materials and styles.

Corkscrews

Worldwide, there are 1,000 patents for different types of bottle openers. But the most common form of bottle opener remains the corkscrew.


There are two basic types - the straight pull, which relies on the strength of the user, and the often more sought after and valuable versions in which a mechanism of some kind takes the strain. 

Corkscrews

The allure of corkscrews rests in part on the many different devices they use to extract a cork mechanically - including levers, cranked handles, and complex concertina-style contraptions.
 In addition, handles can be made from a variety of materials, such as silver,
brass,  steel, carved bone, and'  wood Corkscrews come in many decorative forms, and some             
carry advertising.



 There are also artful novelty types, disguised as anything

from keys to animals, to conceal their true identity.
New recruits are constantly joining the ranks of corkscrew collectors, so rarities are becoming increasingly difficult to find, but beginners should find many examples priced at £10-40. Numerous novelty or advertising examples sell for less than £10.

Keeping it simple


The first English corkscrew patent, taken out by Samuel Henshall in 1795, lasted for 14 years and was for a T-shaped straight pull. Henshall's innovation was to add a cap, or button, to the screw. This limited the screw's penetration, but also gripped the cork on contact and turned it, breaking its adhesion to the neck of the bottle. Early versions are rare and can be worth thousands of pounds. When the patent ran out, other manufacturers produced variations on the type until around 1910. Simple all-metal examples can be found for less than £20, while those with ivory or bone handles often fetch £50-120, and those with a maker's — name or fine detailing cost about  ' £150. Present-day straight pulls are also collectable if they are decorative and made in fine materials.

A helping hand

A great many patents were taken  out in the 19th century for all manner of corkscrews with levers,  arms, and twisting mechanisms. Some enjoyed limited success and are rare today. For example, Robert Jones' design of 1840, which has a brass 'worm', or screw, and three prongs to pierce and grip the cork, can fetch as much as £4,000 if intact and in excellent condition .

Another type, often marked 'Lund', combines a simple T-shaped screw and scissor- type handles with a ring to fit around the bottle neck and the screw. After twisting the screw into the cork, you grip the handle and squeeze, which forces the screw and cork up and out. When complete, these corkscrews may fetch around ,£100. The 'King's Screw' has a top handle that is turned to insert the worm into the cork and a side handle that is turned to extract it. These often sell for ,£200-500.
Many new kinds of corkscrew,
often of simpler design, were designed early in the 20th century. These can usually be bought for £20-80 and could forma wide-ranging  collection.

Corkscrews

Those marked with a maker's \ name, operated by an unusual \° mechanism, or finely crafted are all worth looking for.
Corkscrews in the shape of people or animals usually date from the 20th century. Since so many were made for the tourist trade, they tend to be inexpensive. 



One for the butler

Not all openers for bottles with corks use a screw. There are many other types and they are usually less expensive than corkscrews.






A good example is Converse's patent design, with two prongs that slide between cork and bottle. This 'butler's cheat', valued from ,£30 to £80, enables the unscrupulous user to uncork a bottle and take a drink, then top it up with water and put the cork back After opening

Corkscrews

Most bottle pourers date from the early 20th century on. Widely available and inexpensive, they often incorporate human figures or advertise products. Champagne taps were designed to retain the fizz in half-drunk bottles. They have a gimlet which can be screwed through the cork of an unopened bottle, allowing a glass or two to be poured before the tap is closed off. The heyday for these taps was from 1890 to 1920. Silver champagne   taps are the most prized.