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#336596 - 01-06-2008 21:35:25 Ah-So Cork Remover???
TomHill Online   content
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Elvis Has Entered the Building!

Registered: 02-15-2004 17:42:19
Posts: 12126
Loc: LosAlamos
Last week I just totally mangled my Ah-So of 35 yrs working over an Italian wine, so now am in the process of replacing it.
Curious...anyone know where the name came from??
TomHill

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#336599 - 01-06-2008 21:58:11 Re: Ah-So Cork Remover??? [Re: TomHill]
M. M c C a l l Offline
Local

Registered: 06-19-2005 21:07:04
Posts: 1462
According to Wikipedia, It is named so because its appearance often baffles people, but when its use is demonstrated, they often exclaim "Ah! So that's how it works". There's no reference though, so take it with a grain of fleur de sel.
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#336602 - 01-06-2008 22:31:53 Re: Ah-So Cork Remover??? [Re: M. M c C a l l]
Roland Dumas Offline
Regular

Registered: 11-19-2003 08:00:00
Posts: 989
Loc: Napa, CA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottle_opener#The_Ah-So

....or a salt lick

I first saw and purchased one at the Mondavi winery in ... 1971 and they actually told that story then.

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#336603 - 01-06-2008 23:18:34 Re: Ah-So Cork Remover??? [Re: Roland Dumas]
Steve Edmunds Offline
Regular

Registered: 02-18-2004 16:44:33
Posts: 631
Loc: Berkeley, CA
I was a tour guide at Mondavi from Fall of '76 to Fall of '77, and I can't believe how we sold those things! But, Tom--many Italian bottles, esp Chiantis, seem to have really narrow necks, and they are DEATH to Ah-So!s.
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#336604 - 01-06-2008 23:26:10 Re: Ah-So Cork Remover??? [Re: TomHill]
Michael Alberty Offline
Regular

Registered: 12-29-2001 08:00:00
Posts: 922
Loc: Portland, OR
Patented in 1879 by two engineering partners, one based in Germany, one in China. Schocken Ah and So Wat.
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#336611 - 01-07-2008 05:29:07 Ah-so story [Re: TomHill]
Bob Summers Offline
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Local

Registered: 03-12-2001 08:00:00
Posts: 1817
Loc: 23 ft toy hauler - various loc...
I've had mine for about as long. Great for old corks. Airport security tried to take it away from me. I told them it was harmless and asked them to get a supervisor. I asked if my ball point pen was ok. He said yes. I slammed the Ah-so with its wobbly curved tipped tines into my palm a couple of times and invited him to do the same to his palm with my ball point pen. He wasn't at all pleased with the proposition, so I had to check my carry on and almost missed my flight. I don't travel with it anymore.
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#336615 - 01-07-2008 14:29:57 An Ah-so virgin [Re: TomHill]
JFO Offline
Elvis Has Entered the Building!

Registered: 12-13-2000 08:00:00
Posts: 13065
Loc: America - Free and Proud!
Don't own one. Only time I ever tried it, I ended up pushing the cork into the bottle. I figured Phuket, and got my waiters friend.
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#336621 - 01-07-2008 14:59:26 Re: Ah-So Cork Remover??? [Re: TomHill]
BEB Online   content
True Southern Exposure
Crazed Wino

Registered: 01-02-2001 08:00:00
Posts: 5444
Loc: Somewhere in the Great Valley ...
Another version of it's origin can be found here, but it, like Wikapedia, is unattributed. Allegedly, the name for "The ah-so (called by this name because it’s just ah — so easy to do) ...." According to another site, an American patent on it dates from the late 1800s.

Oddly enough, it was one of my first ways of accessing contraband when I was a tad under age. It was the only cork removing device we had in the house of my youth. My parents purchased it as a novelty when in wine country many moons ago. I made good use of it, unbeknownst to them. Due to their retroactive grace, I still have it to this day.


Edited by BEB (01-07-2008 16:02:39)
Edit Reason: clarity
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#336692 - 01-09-2008 02:15:29 Re: Ah-So Cork Remover??? [Re: Michael Alberty]
Drew Spaulding Offline
Obsessed

Registered: 08-24-2003 07:00:00
Posts: 2169
Loc: Outer Qwghlm
So Wat sounds more Thai to me,
but I'm sure you have your facts straight!
[shock!] \:D [awe!]

Jeers!
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