95

Gero related this story of his presentation:

I prepared all as usual - armed with bottle and Corkmaster. I arrived a 7AM to find six

people awaiting me - the owner, his secretary, a manager, two premium specialist, and

an office employee. I began my demonstration:

I raised the bottle with "You see the bottle, OK"

Followed by "You see in my right hand the new opener."

I had done this fifty times before but I was still nervous - my shirt was wet with

perspiration.

I clutched the neck of the bottle in my left hand and the Corkmaster in my right hand.

I began "All you need do to open the wine is put the needle in the cork."

After ten seconds the owner said, "Yes, we will buy that."

I inserted the needle and said, "Just push this lever."

My nerves were shattered and after three seconds, I wanted to be invisible.

The bottle exploded into 1000 splinters!

I knew that this business was dead.

By 1964 British Oxygen had changed the length of the Corkmaster needle to 2 1/8". The

"Sparklets Corkmaster" was sold in Europe and the "Corkmaster" was sold in the

United States. A band was applied to the top of the bottom housing warning "Use only

in accordance with the instructions issued with this Corkmaster."