Record Frame Corkscrew, Steel with Turned Wood Handle, DRGM Registered, Germany, c.1926

This is a German frame corkscrew of the “Record” mechanical family, a design associated with Theodor Kämpf’s 1926 DRGM registered system. The corkscrew operates through a rigid rectangular frame with an internal guide shaft: the worm is driven into the cork by rotating the turned wooden T-handle, after which the frame base rests on the bottle lip and extraction occurs through the guided upward travel of the central spindle. The construction reflects the interwar period development of more controlled mechanical extraction devices in Germany.

The frame is stamped RECORD / D.R.G.M., indicating protection under the Deutsches Reichsgebrauchsmuster system. Steel surfaces show honest age patina and light wear consistent with use. The wooden handle remains structurally sound with minor handling marks. The worm is straight and retains good definition with a sharp point. The mechanism runs smoothly with minimal play and remains fully usable today.

Circa 1926–1930
Provenance: Thomas Guenther Collection

MEASUREMENTS
Length: 16.8 cm
Height: 16.8 cm
Width (handle): 9.3 cm
Weight: 128 g