Chateau Laguiole 3000

Pros: beautifully crafted, great conversation piece, form and function combined
Cons: expensive

You love wine and want something unique, perhaps something that will spark a conversation with guests. You are looking for what writer Peter Mayle calls, “the best corkscrew in the world… French, of course.”

Laguiole corkscrews are made in...

Pros: Solid, great screw and capsule cutter
Cons: price, hard to find

This is the "stripped down" version of a very fine instrument. I use the word advisedly. To call this only a corkscrew is like calling Bill Gates only a hacker! I first saw this corkscrew in the Napa valley in all its variations, but I...

Pros: Beautiful, Durable, Practical
Cons: Expensive

This product is not for everyone. This is an old fashioned style of opener that takes some physical strength to operate. There are plenty of openers that give more mechanical advantage to those who may have small hands. I’m 6’ 5” and have large hands....

Pros: It has a beautiful and functional design.
Cons: Poor finish on the metal lever and cutting blade.

Be careful about buying products sight unseen. Having read about, and looked at internet photos of, the CL 3000 black horn corkscrew, I decided to buy one. I shopped around, and found one for $95 (incl. shipping), so I ordered it.
Caveat emptor. The corkscrew looks good, and works perfectly. However, the quality of the metal finish is less than pleasing. I expected a Swiss Army Knife finish to the lever and blade. Instead, mine has a finish that looks like a bad chrome-job. The cutting blade has a dent across the middle (whether this is a defect or intentional, I don't know). Where the rivets attach the black horn to the handle, I can foresee a potential cracking problem (again, I don't know that this will be an actual problem).