233

Conclusion

The figural sheaths for the Williamson corkscrews were made in the first half of the 20th

Century with the majority in the 1930s. The primary foundries were Kronheimer &

Oldenbusch, Jennings Brothers, and Weidlich Brothers. A lock with a metal sheath was

produced by Demley. Blackinton in Massachusetts was the primary manufacturer of

silver and gold sheaths using Williamson corkscrews. Most were zinc-alloy castings.

Others were aluminum , brass, Bakelite, and silver. Most of the souvenir shields

attached to the figural sheaths and other corkscrews are of similar design and were

used as early as 1910.

In addition to figural sheaths, a large variety of silver sheaths can be found with the

Williamson corkscrew. They are also used in some of the wine funnel sets, spoons, ice

choppers, and jiggers. Stag, bone, and celluloid sheaths have been noted as well.

Note: This article first appeared in the Spring, 2007 issue of The Bottle Scrue Times

, the

newsletter of the International Correspondence of Corkscrew Addicts (ICCA).