So if it's not a Durand, it's a...

[Jenise]

...lucylanker?

https://www.amazon.com/LUCYLANKER-Vinta ... 6LBNB&th=1

I had heard there was a knockoff, inevitable. Interested to hear what people think of construction, at some point I'll probably forget my Durand somewhere!

[Jenise]

I'm surprised it took this long, the patent timed out about a year ago.

I read thru the reviews, all posted by people who got it for free in exchange for their reviews. Some have no idea why this isn't an ordinary corkscrew.

One of the few who knew the diff said: The Durand is a famous corkscrew that uses the same design principle as this one and costs $145. I've used it and it works fine. The problem is that this product is every bit as good in terms of material, build quality, design, and function. And it retails for $45.

You could make a case for The Durand being a bit better finished and a little more understated, but that's not worth an additional $100. The Durand comes with a cork case held together with inset magnets at each corner, but this item comes with a sturdy, coated box with custom-cut foam inserts. Neither is superior for transport; both work well. The cork looks more premium, but I would argue it is also more fragile.

In the end, you could buy three of these for one Durand and that's a good value if you have multiple homes and/or travel to wine tasting events.

The only difference I noted with this product is that the corkscrew is about 2mm shorter than the one used in The Durand. I don't see this mattering in practice. Otherwise, both use zinc metal for the handles, spring steel for the Ah So blades, and similarly coated corkscrews. IN fact, this product has a bottle cap opener which the Durand does not have (but most Ah So designs DO have, btw).

Having bought three Durands myself, I can appreciate the value angle if it holds up.

I'd pay the cost of a Durand just to be able to unsee that acanthus scrollwork. But if somebody comes up with a sleek, unornamented knockoff that fits with my minimalist aesthetic, I might be game.

I think you'd have to be a bit of an Ah So to buy one of those.....

I have had a lot of problems with old corks sticking to the bottleneck and coming apart when using a screwpull or waiter's corkscrew to remove them. The Durand seems like a good solution to the problem, but the price has always put me off. I think I can put up with the baroque ornamentation, given the lower price.

-Paul W.