The Virtual Corkscrew Museum's Weekly Newspaper

Credo Solingen

Credo's 1950s product range

On January 1, 1924, Gustav Kracht founded the Credo Stahlwarenfabrik in Solingen, Germany. Gustav Kracht was born on February 28, 1877 at Rehme/Westphalia. He was always closely connected to the cutlery production in Solingen. As early as 1912 he obtained a German patent for a can opener. In the beginning Credo produced nutcrackers, corn cutters (Kracht's patent), and other kitchen tools. The company is still in operation today and their current products can be seen at http://www.credo-solingen.de/. The firm is one of the leading producers of mechanical pedicure items.

Of particular interest to corkscrew collectors is this combination tool produced by Credo. It is a corkscrew, a can opener in the P-38 style, a bottle cap remover, and it also will remover stoppers on bottles as shown in the photo below.

Combination tool by Credo

Waiter's Friend by Credo

Another Waiter's Friend by Credo - Marked PAT PEND.

On July 8, 1949, Gustav Kracht applied for a patent for his Öffner für Einkochgläser (an opener for cooking glasses). German patent 813,653 was issued September 17, 1951.

Kracht's Öffner für Einkochgläser

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Miss Corkscrew

If there was ever a beauty pageant for "Miss Corkscrew", this girl medicine / perfume corkscrew would be a very leading candidate. Overall length is four inches.

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Letter to the Editor

Last week we asked "What is in the Box?" which brought this response from reader Volker Leidner (New Caledonia): "I have the two jackhammers, but was amazed to learn they originated from a beer tool kit comprising 4 items. But then what's more deserving for a hard working miner then to send a cool beer down his shaft after a gruesome shift in the shaft?"

Koolmijn van Beringen 1907-1989

Topping off our Letters to the Editor was a photo and brief message from Belgian reader Luc Bille. His great display of the mining set commemorates the 1907 - 1989 coal mining operation in Beringen, a town not far from Antwerpen.

The mine of Beringen in 1924

Also found in Beringen (Koersel area) is the Uitkijktoren Café-Restaurant with its corkscrew staircase. Then and now photos shown.

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Letter to the Editor

Volker Leidner from New Caledonia wrote: "This one surprised me. Do you know it has two spelling mistakes ? It should read 'Korkenzieher' ('h' instead of 'n') and also 'Handbearbeitetes Naturholz' ('tes' instead of 'tee'). Obviously the company which ordered the sets was happy enough with the outcome to still market it. "

Editor's note: Volker, we thought you would like a look at the opposite side.

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