Youre holding history in your hands.It took us years to find somebody who would make these, then months to get them manufactured.We found a small family-run business who uses original antique equipment at a historic foundry to cast solid iron bottle openers.They were not cheap. Or fast. Or easy.But It felt like a solid fit for us, given that our tagline at camp is: Not new, not improved since 1925The opener design patent was registered the year before (called 1924)OUR PARTNER IS THE OG.The @thebritishbottleopenercompany works out of a foundry called Branfords thats in The Black Country (famous for industrial heritage, making everything from nails to anchor chain for the Titanic). It got this nickname for the soot that used to fill the air there. Peak production at the foundry in the 20s was 95,000 openers per week (5 moulders worked a 5 day week) zoom into the last shot for the area now THE 10-STEP PROCESS. MADE THE HARD WAY:+ The letters were set up in a pantograph engraving machine and an incised mirror image engraved in a brass block.+ This was used as the master to produce copies.+ A pattern was made from aluminum & placed in a box split in 2 halves.+ Sand, mixed with resin and acid was rammed into place around the pattern Including pat. No. No.702661 on handle).+ The acid cured the resin & consolidated the sand into a mould.+ Box was split and the pattern removed.+ Box Re-assembled & molten iron poured into the mould.+ When cool, the box was split to remove openers.+ The barrel was pivoted on trunnions (then tumbled for 10 hours).+ Then sand & flash (extra bits of metal were rubbed off).*The result is strong - thats why our openers come with a lifetime guarantee.THE BIRTH OF THE BOTTLE OPENER:Became common after the crown top was invented 1892. ( Before that, beer came with attached stoppers) As this top became the standard, bottle openers boomed as ads for bars, beer & restaurants.The Wandawega Inn may have even had their own back in the day, well never knowbut we are grateful to craftspeople like Craig for making ours (shown pouring iron)So proud to launch their craft on the campstore this morning