Ready for Anything Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
A question from Stuart Harrington: “I bought a Swiss Army Knife as a Christmas gift for a young relative. When I was choosing which version would be the most suitable, I was surprised by how many of the styles available had a corkscrew attachment. In fact, it was a challenge to find one that did not. Is a corkscrew still considered a more useful implement than, for instance, a Phillips head screwdriver?”
As someone with an anti-talent for DIY but an unquestionable flair for opening wine bottles, I know what my answer to this is. I’d also point out that corkscrews are hardly a one-trick tool. They’re very handy for extracting residual wax from candlesticks, for instance – and I’m sure they have other vital uses that I can’t think of at this precise moment.
Anyway, Bob Fleming was with me: “I have always carried a comprehensive toolkit in cars,” he wrote, “and it is embarrassing to say that the only tool I have ever used away from home is a cheap combined corkscrew and bottle opener. So the answer to Stuart’s query is a definite yes”.
No shame in that. David Burke added: “I too had to decide between a corkscrew or a screwdriver when buying a Swiss Army Knife. Knowing that wine bottles now increasingly have screw caps, I opted for the screwdriver. I have regretted it ever since, as many Spanish and other wines still come with a cork.”
All is not lost, counselled Jeff Smith: “Swiss Army Knives include a small screwdriver that is stored inside the thread of the corkscrew. This can be used to tighten the screws in glasses and sunglasses – provided you can see what you are doing.”
Another tip came from Neil Sewell-Rutter: “As a student I discovered that the sturdy spike on a Swiss Army Knife, reputedly for getting stones out of horses’ hooves, has a civilian function: if you take your trunk to university but forget the key, it may be used to break the lock.” You read it here first. Corkscrew or screwdriver? An under-used personality test, I suspect. Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up here.
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