 
One of the most frequently found Vaughan products is the
"Nifty". This combination cap lifter and corkscrew was invented by Harry L.
Vaughan in 1916 and was sold by the millions in subsequent years. A 1939
Canadian catalog said that 38 million had been sold. They were still listed in
1949 in a Vancouver hardware catalog for 25 cents each.
The counter display card of Improved Nifty Bottle Opener and
Cork Screw reads "Heavier, Stronger, Better. Nickel-plated. The easy way to
start a cork, lift up on handle. Nifty trademark, copyright Vaughan, patented
and sustained. One dozen combination bottle opener with cork screw No. 63-C
improved. Made in U. S. A. Card printed in Chicago. Sold all over the world."
In a 1932 catalog from Caverhill, Learmont & Co., Limited, Montreal the
cards with corkscrews are offered at $1.20 per dozen. |
The Nifty bottle opener and corkscrew could also be purchased in
a leather pouch. This pouch advertises Ruscon Steel Company, Youngstown, Ohio.
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The "Locktite" Bottle Stopper and Opener. "Locktite" appears in
the 1919 and 1922 catalogs as a trade mark for Vaughan's key chain fastener. It
is note shown in the 1927 catalog but does appear in 1935 at prices ranging
from $8 per hundred to $3.80 per hundred in quantity of 10,000. |
In a 1927 this cast iron bottle opener is shown as the No. 175A
"Open-All (no "s" on open) and it has a hanger hole in the narrow end. In the
example shown here (No. 178), a lid prier has been added on the blunt end. The
opener is not shown in Vaughan's 1935 catalog. |
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Wire bottle openers do not appear in the 1919, 1922,
or 1927 catalogs. In the 1935 catalog there are six varieties which are "made
of a special grade of steel wire" and "are finished in either bright copper or
nickel plate." A combination spoon and bottle opener is also shown.
Advertisements on wire openers were stamped with raised letter
on one or two sides.
A 1933 Vaughan advertisement in The Coca-Cola®
Bottler offered a spoon / opener, a single stem opener, and two figure
eight openers with advertising "Drink Coca-Cola in Bottles" with the notice
that they were in stock for prompt shipment.
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The "Quick and Easy" prong puller was offered in the
1935 catalog at prices ranging from $12.50 for 50 pieces up to $90.00 per
thousand for a purchase of 10,000. This puller is seldom seen with advertising.
One example shown here advertises "Liquor Industries Wholesale, 360 N. Michigan
Ave., Chicago."
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Vaughan's Safety Roll Jr. was on counter display and on
individual sales card.
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Many varieties of the Vaughan hand held can openers can be found
with prices stamped right on the handles. These were designed to be packaged in
bulk sold on housewares racks without benefit of display cards. The Vaughan
opener shown here is a little more complicated than the lightweight examples
with folding worm and was even discounted! |
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On April 2, 1935, Dewitt Sampson and John M. Hothersall
were granted U. S. Patent Number 1,996,550 for their can opener invention. In
Vaughan's "Quick and Easy" can opener the underside of the handle is formed
with finger grips.
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In 1976 Vaughan issued catalog No. 122 and billed the company as
"World's Largest Manufacturer of Can and Bottle Openers." Their address was
then 900 North Kilpatrick Avenue. By the early 1980's the Vaughan line
included:
- No. 179 Beverage Spoon and Bottle Opener
- No. 56 Easy-Slyde Shoe Horn and Bottle Opener
- No. 204-A Paint Can and Bottle Opener
- No. 400 Tap Boy with corkscrew.
- No. 425 Quad-fold
- No. 1 Never Chip Wall Bottle Opener
- No. 936 Stationary Can Opener
- Three Flat Cap Lifters
- Two Wire Type Cap Lifters
- Four combination can opener / bottle cap lifter
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