Corkscrew Styles

Rabbit corkscrews, screwpull corkscrews, and Laguiole corkscrews

The device we know as a corkscrew has existed in some form since the 17th Century. Corkscrew styles have changed a great deal since then, though the terms used to describe corkscrew styles vary significantly from collectors to consumers. Collectors speak of corkscrew styles such as easers and figurals, but our guide to corkscrew styles will focus on modern corkscrews designed for maximum efficiency and beauty.

Rabbit corkscrews

Named for its uncanny resemblance to a seated rabbit, the rabbit corkscrew is one of the fastest and most efficient corkscrew styles available today.

Most rabbit corkscrews come with a foil cutter to get the opening process started. Then comes the easy part. The two bottom handles, the “legs” of your rabbit corkscrew, latch around the top of the wine bottle. The top handle, which resembles a joined pair of rabbit ears, holds the actual corkscrew, or as it's properly known, the worm.

However, there's no screwing involved with rabbit corkscrews. Simply lower the handle and the corkscrew plunges straight through the cork. Lift the handle back up, and the strength of the fulcrum and the rabbit corkscrew's gripper legs enable you to remove a wine bottle cork in mere seconds.

Rabbit corkscrews tend to sell for around $30 to $80. The time you'll save using a rabbit corkscrew makes it well worth the cost.

Screwpull corkscrews

Yes, its name sounds like a character in a silly children's novel, but the screwpull corkscrew is actually a very elegant variation on the rabbit corkscrew.

Some screwpull corkscrews look a bit like shorter rabbit corkscrews, and are among the most luxurious corkscrews available. Cheaper screwpull corkscrews are thin vertical devices shaped like standard table corkscrews.

Le Creuset screwpull corkscrews are the best known. Le Creuset's finest screwpull corkscrew comes with a foil cutter, display stand, and a ten-year warranty. It’s made from rustproof chrome-plated zinc alloy and sells for $130 to $150.

The smaller and simpler screwpull corkscrew sells for less than $30.

Laguiole wine openers

Laguiole wine openers are for those who enjoy beauty more than efficiency. That’s not to say that Laguiole corkscrews don't work well. Hand-crafted in France using a traditional waiter's wine opener design, Laguiole wine openers feature beautiful wooden handles and sharp, five-turn corkscrews.

Laguiole wine openers will be reminiscent for many of a corkscrew pocketknife, but with a much finer appearance. Some of the woods used in manufacturing the handles of Laguiole corkscrews include juniper, pistachio, olive, amourette, and oak.

The exquisite hand-crafted construction of Laguiole wine openers makes them very fine wine accessories, as well as distinctive and unique gifts. Laguiole corkscrews sell for around $135 to $185 depending on the style and vendor.

Other corkscrew styles

Besides these corkscrew styles, there are always old favorites such as the waiter's corkscrew or cork pullers with thin metal legs that slide between the cork and the bottle. Some so-called corkscrews now even use compressed carbon dioxide to pull the cork from the bottle.

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