158

is firmly imbedded in the body

a

', the pointed outer end of the pin projecting into the

cavity e, so that it is adapted to penetrate a cigar tip inserted in said cavity.

‖

He also

describes the sheath as having

―…a handle portion which enables it to be readily

manipulated, and is at the same time adapted to serve as a storage receptacle for

another article, such as a cork screw, the whole being adapted to be carried in the

pocket of the user

.

”

So did Clough manufacture the Cigar Tip Perforator sheaths, was it a cooperative effort,

or did Stephens simply purchase the wire corkscrews from Clough and make the

sheaths himself? It is unclear, but the circumstantial evidence seems to point to the

latter - that the sheaths were made solely by Stephens. I'll present the evidence below

and let you be the judge.

The most significant piece of circumstantial evidence is Stephens'

―

All-Ways

‖

combination opener. The All-Ways included a sheathed Clough wire corkscrew and the

handle of the All-Ways is typically marked

―

A. W. Stephens Mfg. Waltham Mass.

‖

This

suggests that Stephens had the capability to manufacture wooden sheaths in his

Waltham factory, perhaps as early as 1901. So when it came time to make the Cigar Tip

Perforators, it seems only logical that Stephens would have manufactured them in-

house also.

The Cigar Tip Perforator sheath is marked with the Stephens' factory location of

Waltham - another strong indication that it was made in Waltham, not Alton.

The Stephens patent states that the sheath may be used to keep

―

other articles

‖

besides

a corkscrew, and he specifically mentions that

―

The extension

a

may be used for

holding toothpicks or other articles usually carried in the pocket, a suitable stopper

being provided for closing the mouth of the cavity

b

.

”

If Stephens did make sheaths for

other purposes, he certainly would have done it in-house as well. I'm sure that Clough

had no interest in producing toothpick cases and the like.

There are dramatically fewer Cigar Tip Perforators than Decapitators extant, suggesting

that Clough had no vested interest in making the Cigar Tip Perforators, else we surely

would have found many more of them. It seems that production of the Stephens sheath

must have been very brief.