Guilty until proven innocent
by Peter Borrett
The corkscrew pictured to the right was sold on ebay in March 2014.
It was advertised as Rare Antique Lever Corkscrew Tire Bouchon,
Marked B&C, Excellent Condition & offered at an auction starting
price of 99p.
It received 34 bids & sold for £510.00
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There are better experts than me to cast judgement on such a piece but in my opinion this is a clear fake. Made to
deceive & deceive it did.
There is no reference for this piece. That shouldn't necessarily be the be all & end all as not all corkscrews have
been referenced in the numerous corkscrew publications. However, that for me is the starting point to have a
concern. I take a stance of guilty until proven innocent with my collecting. I would advise you do likewise to ensure
that you get value for money.
At first glance this piece looks old, so the next step is to take a closer look. Ask other collectors for their views. The
advert says it is marked "B & C", who are B & C? Research, try Google for starters.
The ebay listing clearly showed the merits of the piece with half a dozen very clear pictures. By studying the
pictures I was certain that it was a corkscrew made from different parts. A handle that could of come from any
number of antique tools or household items married with a hand made lever & a period worm. Sharp engraved
initials of B & C, Sharp edged cut aways & a welded worm made it pretty easy for me to realise this piece was
100% wrong.
I can't say if the seller knew what he was doing or was just an innocent party who once bought it in good faith.
What I can say is somebody paid £510 on a fake. Very sad indeed! :(
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