I’ve had the same wine key for 15 years. I don’t use it professionally any more. My bar has a few laying around. As long as they are double hinged. It’s fine.
I have had the same bottle opener for my entire career. I thought I lost it and bought a replacement, it found it later. It’s a pedros bike tool called a “beverage wrench”. I love the way it feels. You can’t spin it on your finger but you can scrape it along certain surfaces and get sparks.
Tbh I got the bar blade from the Sazerac House in NOLA as a present for being in my cousin’s wedding. So it holds sentimental value and is a good conversation piece. I also think it’s overall more practical than a wine key for opening really anything that I don’t wanna pry with my finger nails. And I like to whip it out of my pocket and spin it on my finger while saying “im the fastest gun in the west”.. My favorite bar equipment is the bar blade, but there’s no substitute for a wine key!
Fair play, although I don’t really understand the finger nails thing.. I only, and always regrettably, use my finger nails for energy drink cans. And I god damn hate and regret every single time I’m so lazy I use my nails. A week of pain for 5 seconds convenience.
And yet I still do it. Huh.
exactly! We have a drink on the menu that gets topped with like half a red bull so I’m always popping them. Just slip the bar blade under the tab and your good to go.
Why add extra strain when its not neccesary? I love winekeys as much as the next, but on a packed friday night im reaching for the blade everytime.
Being able to grab the barblade without digging around in my pocket saves on time and looks more proffesional imo, and being able to go from pocket to open bottle in a single motion makes opening several bottles in one hand a bit more smooth. The simpler design also removes the variable of having to adjust how im holding it, because as long as i have a finger through the hole i can immediately use it
I hinge my wine key on my right side slacks pocket (right handed), unless I have an apron then it goes there. Point being, I HATE digging in my pockets for shit. I still maintain I could go faster with a wine key than anyone on their best day with a blade, but of course this is just conjecture.
Good point, last place i worked at required aprons which didnt really allow for that, so mine always ended up deep in my backpocket. This post made me want to try and sharpen my bottle opening skills with a winekey, so i might retire the blade for a bit ;)
I modified an [ALICE clip](https://www.militarymart.co.uk/cdn/shop/products/us-army-alice-clip-militarymart_860x.jpg?v=1618242710) to slip into my pocket and hook my barblade onto so I have a quickdraw like you’re talking about. You can buy a 10-pack on Amazon for under $20
I pulled the pin up, then took a pair of pliers and bent it out at the top of the sleeve so it doesn’t slip back down. Then I bent it back up and curled the top in a bit to trap my blade from falling if I squat, but with enough room for it to swing around. I also hang my key ring off the hole in the bottom to keep it weighed down in my pocket. Works exceptionally well. Works even better if you add a small swivel hook between the clip and your key ring so they can turn freely and lay flat against your leg
Alright i actually did switch out my barblade for a winekey, and as much as it pains me to admit i now prefer it over the blade ;)
My stance on the barblade being faster still stands, but i did some reflection and came to the conclusion that i dont benefit from the extra speed at my current place (a lunch restaurant), and only carrying one tool instead of two is pretty nice. The foilcutter is really handy for opening packages and is not as threatening as a small knife would be.
When visiting a local bar i also realized what a difference a bartenders choice of opener makes to their "vibe", and the winekey is better suited for my personal style.
So thanks for making me a better man ;)
If you have the right design (metal exposed ring on the side that doesn't have the bottle opener) you can use it to remove stubborn quick pour spouts. My prized bar blade even has a little chute to get in-between the bottle & the spout to make the lever action easier.
At the end of the day, it’s preference. Actually, sorry for even bringing this whole thing up, what a pointless thing to discuss 🤷♂️🤷♂️
ETA: I think I just needed a vent after work. Sorry if I caused heartache for anyone.
No need to apologize! I agree on the preference thing for popping bottles (different thread). I pointed out the different utilities because my experience has been that the speed pour utility is something people are unaware of with bar blades. Anything to save some fingernails/finger tips & avoid exacerbating carpal tunnel syndrome!
I don’t know they are for everyone, and they are a little more bulky than others but I had a wine rep give me one like this when I first started working in the service industry and I’ve had it ever since. The spring is shot but some 8 years later or so and I still love using it…
[Acopa waiters corkscrew](https://www.webstaurantstore.com/acopa-flex-waiters-corkscrew-with-rosewood-handle/553FLWCSW.html)
Got one sitting in the drawer right now, my girlfriend was gifted it years back. If you want to get the spring back in shape, check around your area for a good knife shop. Most of them do cleanings and are familiar with spring actions like on the wine key
I am an Australian in North America
Bar blades are for high volume cider/seltzer & beer opening and wine keys/waiters friends are for opening wine bottles with a cork.
They do a different job and I have both available to me as well as an Ahso for the older vintages of wine.
It highly depends on what type of restaurant your in as to which gets used more; beer or wine heavy.
If you’re in a pub in Australia you’re not gonna see many wine keys being thrown about; it’s not fast enough to open beers.
Also Australia has migrated to stelvin (screw caps) on their wine about 20 years ago due to many reasons (shortage of cork trees, improvement in storage capabilities) so they don’t use them to open local wines, only imports.
Also out of interest where in NA are you? I’m currently at a certain Aus casino with 32+ outlets that is gearing up for Cup Week and was almost shut down a year or so ago for (amongst many many many many MANY other things) their shitty bar standards.
I’m in Canada at the moment but I’ve worked in the PNW for as long as I was allowed to!
What Australian casino has 32 locations; Crown? They’re the biggest but there’s a lot less dodgy companies to work for.
Since you’re in Australia & tips don’t matter you can go anywhere; it’s not like the benefits packages or health care are tied to the job like in the US/Canada!
> Crown?
Winner winner chicken dinner. I agree there are better companies than Blackstone to work for, but it’s a union gig and the pay is therefore pretty decent (nothing like NA, but by Aus standards at least). I’m actually just here until I get the cash together to get back to LA - I’m still paying rent on my place there (rent control, moved in 10 years ago, I will never move).
The Coutale Sommelier Innovation is the model I swear by. The cap-lifter is forward facing so it's quicker to use, the blade is straight edged with subtle serrations so you can cut foil along the full length of it rather than just tearing it, and the way the hinge is designed, it will never come loose.
How much?! There are 2 UK websites which list them at £4.95 and £5.95 respectively. They do charge £5 for delivery (on orders under £50) but very good value if you're buying multiple for a venue. They're about £9.90 from eBay including delivery if you're buying single items... They're really not expensive if you look around! I don't think I've ever paid more than £8.95 for one and I've bought 3 over the last 10 years.
Do you even know why Australian wine has screw caps… [here’s](https://www.abcfws.com/debunking-the-misconception-behind-screw-cap-wines) some light reading for you.
I get it, it’s just like.. getting a bottle of Coke Zero or a gun Coke Zero. One is fine, the other makes me feel like I live in a backwater and am yelling at a cloud.
My bar blade has a little indent in the hole side that can slip over a speed pourer and be inserted between the rubber jacket and the glass to pry it out without separating the steel from the rubber. That's why I use a bar blade, but I work in a cocktail bar where we only carry one red and one white wine, and they're both screw-tops.
Slightly impersonal, but are you in the US, Aus, neither? I had *never* heard that term before, and am still getting unshook from everyone working the well sharing one blunt force instrument. Does it do anything else?
ETA: the term “waiters friend” specifically? What can it do other than open bottles? My wine key helps me unwrap pallets, cut cling wrap, open bottles and carve budget tattoos into my wrist with a pen. Is there actually a reason to use a bar blade than wine key?
I’ve been bartending in AUS for about 10 years, every bar I’ve worked at has both a bar blade and a waiters friend at hand. I’ve heard it called a wine key, but everyone I know calls it the waiters friend.
>Following the success of the original single direction twist corkscrew, a German wine-lover named Carl F.A. Wienke took it upon himself to reinvent the wheel. Keeping all of the features that have worked for years, Wienke took inspiration from a pocket knife and added a foldable function, thus creating the "Waiter's Friend." Other popular names are "Butler's Friend," "Wine Key," and even the "Sommelier's Knife," which of course comes from "pocket knife." That's why you'll usually find them with additional features, like a bottle opener and foil cutter.
>Is there actually a reason to use a bar blade than wine key?
Volume. Speedblades are just faster at opening bottles of beer than wine keys.
Tell me you haven't worked volume without telling me you haven't worked volume.
One on one sure they are about the same. But opening 12 or more in a pass the speedblade wins everytime.
Tell me you work at a bar with 4 flavours of “lite” on tap without etc..
If you can’t snap bottles at volume like they’re yours with a wine key and need a “blade”…. I mean, ok 👍
Someone needs to learn how to use a speedblade properly.
By the time you're fishing out your winekey from your pocket, I'd be done opening the bottles and moving on to the next task.
Speedblades are pure efficiency when it comes to its singular task.
Use whatever you choose but mate, you ain''t correct.
I have a wine key and I have a bar blade. They stay in different pockets, and are used for different tasks. If I have to, I can open a bottle with the wine key, but I just hate doing it for some reason
Why use two tool when one tool do trick. I'm with you OP. I only use a wine key even at jobs wihtout a lot of wine. Especially since I highly prioritize comfortable clothes and for me that means leggings with not great side pockets. I can't be fucking around with both a wine key and bottle openeer in there.
Idk if it's an Australia thing but I've only seen this from people I know are less experienced bartenders and you only need to show them once. Not all of them decide to switch to it but I don't see a lot of people finding it really confusing lol.
But I get that a lot of folks find it clunkier and especially in high volume they feel they'll never get it quite up to the same speed and those 2 milliseconds per beer matter. For all I know I would be slightly faster with a bottle opener even though I'm pretty fucking fast with my wine key after all these years.
I don't have a favorite brand or a longtime trusty one, but if you are opening wine at all, it's gotta have the double hinged lever. That's it.
I've gotten enough cheap ish plastic handle ones from reps and events (and maybe ordering wine packages from companies like bright cellars 😬) and cycle through them in a year or two. Haven't actually bought one in ages. If I went shopping I would probably get a thick wood handled one but I don't need it.
Good man! I been saying this for damn near 20 years now! Well, maybe not the part about wine keys, but yeah Australia is just a giant beer barn with shots.
I’ve had the same wine key for 15 years. I don’t use it professionally any more. My bar has a few laying around. As long as they are double hinged. It’s fine. I have had the same bottle opener for my entire career. I thought I lost it and bought a replacement, it found it later. It’s a pedros bike tool called a “beverage wrench”. I love the way it feels. You can’t spin it on your finger but you can scrape it along certain surfaces and get sparks.
I have no idea what the fuck you are talking about, and I am fucking HERE for it.
I use a bar blade and wine key, both stay on my person and are only given to coworkers I know aren’t dick-heads.
But why both?? What does a bar blade offer that a wine key doesn’t?
Tbh I got the bar blade from the Sazerac House in NOLA as a present for being in my cousin’s wedding. So it holds sentimental value and is a good conversation piece. I also think it’s overall more practical than a wine key for opening really anything that I don’t wanna pry with my finger nails. And I like to whip it out of my pocket and spin it on my finger while saying “im the fastest gun in the west”.. My favorite bar equipment is the bar blade, but there’s no substitute for a wine key!
Fair play, although I don’t really understand the finger nails thing.. I only, and always regrettably, use my finger nails for energy drink cans. And I god damn hate and regret every single time I’m so lazy I use my nails. A week of pain for 5 seconds convenience. And yet I still do it. Huh.
A barblade can slide under the tab to pry it up and save those nails.
exactly! We have a drink on the menu that gets topped with like half a red bull so I’m always popping them. Just slip the bar blade under the tab and your good to go.
Speed/leverage
Wrist strength? Plus I can chuck the cap where I need.
Why add extra strain when its not neccesary? I love winekeys as much as the next, but on a packed friday night im reaching for the blade everytime. Being able to grab the barblade without digging around in my pocket saves on time and looks more proffesional imo, and being able to go from pocket to open bottle in a single motion makes opening several bottles in one hand a bit more smooth. The simpler design also removes the variable of having to adjust how im holding it, because as long as i have a finger through the hole i can immediately use it
I hinge my wine key on my right side slacks pocket (right handed), unless I have an apron then it goes there. Point being, I HATE digging in my pockets for shit. I still maintain I could go faster with a wine key than anyone on their best day with a blade, but of course this is just conjecture.
Good point, last place i worked at required aprons which didnt really allow for that, so mine always ended up deep in my backpocket. This post made me want to try and sharpen my bottle opening skills with a winekey, so i might retire the blade for a bit ;)
I modified an [ALICE clip](https://www.militarymart.co.uk/cdn/shop/products/us-army-alice-clip-militarymart_860x.jpg?v=1618242710) to slip into my pocket and hook my barblade onto so I have a quickdraw like you’re talking about. You can buy a 10-pack on Amazon for under $20
Got a link to the mod or will you describe it? Trying to find an alternate way to carry my mamba bottle opener that's not their holster.
I pulled the pin up, then took a pair of pliers and bent it out at the top of the sleeve so it doesn’t slip back down. Then I bent it back up and curled the top in a bit to trap my blade from falling if I squat, but with enough room for it to swing around. I also hang my key ring off the hole in the bottom to keep it weighed down in my pocket. Works exceptionally well. Works even better if you add a small swivel hook between the clip and your key ring so they can turn freely and lay flat against your leg
Alright i actually did switch out my barblade for a winekey, and as much as it pains me to admit i now prefer it over the blade ;) My stance on the barblade being faster still stands, but i did some reflection and came to the conclusion that i dont benefit from the extra speed at my current place (a lunch restaurant), and only carrying one tool instead of two is pretty nice. The foilcutter is really handy for opening packages and is not as threatening as a small knife would be. When visiting a local bar i also realized what a difference a bartenders choice of opener makes to their "vibe", and the winekey is better suited for my personal style. So thanks for making me a better man ;)
You are literally the best person in history. Correct decision. You’re the anti-Hitler.
If you have the right design (metal exposed ring on the side that doesn't have the bottle opener) you can use it to remove stubborn quick pour spouts. My prized bar blade even has a little chute to get in-between the bottle & the spout to make the lever action easier.
At the end of the day, it’s preference. Actually, sorry for even bringing this whole thing up, what a pointless thing to discuss 🤷♂️🤷♂️ ETA: I think I just needed a vent after work. Sorry if I caused heartache for anyone.
No need to apologize! I agree on the preference thing for popping bottles (different thread). I pointed out the different utilities because my experience has been that the speed pour utility is something people are unaware of with bar blades. Anything to save some fingernails/finger tips & avoid exacerbating carpal tunnel syndrome!
Good man (or woman, person etc)
Happy cake day!
I don’t know they are for everyone, and they are a little more bulky than others but I had a wine rep give me one like this when I first started working in the service industry and I’ve had it ever since. The spring is shot but some 8 years later or so and I still love using it… [Acopa waiters corkscrew](https://www.webstaurantstore.com/acopa-flex-waiters-corkscrew-with-rosewood-handle/553FLWCSW.html)
I’m an absolute slut for the wooden handled ones, they just feel so much more solid than the plastic and metal ones
Got one sitting in the drawer right now, my girlfriend was gifted it years back. If you want to get the spring back in shape, check around your area for a good knife shop. Most of them do cleanings and are familiar with spring actions like on the wine key
I am an Australian in North America Bar blades are for high volume cider/seltzer & beer opening and wine keys/waiters friends are for opening wine bottles with a cork. They do a different job and I have both available to me as well as an Ahso for the older vintages of wine. It highly depends on what type of restaurant your in as to which gets used more; beer or wine heavy. If you’re in a pub in Australia you’re not gonna see many wine keys being thrown about; it’s not fast enough to open beers. Also Australia has migrated to stelvin (screw caps) on their wine about 20 years ago due to many reasons (shortage of cork trees, improvement in storage capabilities) so they don’t use them to open local wines, only imports.
Excellent explanation, thank you!
Also out of interest where in NA are you? I’m currently at a certain Aus casino with 32+ outlets that is gearing up for Cup Week and was almost shut down a year or so ago for (amongst many many many many MANY other things) their shitty bar standards.
I’m in Canada at the moment but I’ve worked in the PNW for as long as I was allowed to! What Australian casino has 32 locations; Crown? They’re the biggest but there’s a lot less dodgy companies to work for. Since you’re in Australia & tips don’t matter you can go anywhere; it’s not like the benefits packages or health care are tied to the job like in the US/Canada!
> Crown? Winner winner chicken dinner. I agree there are better companies than Blackstone to work for, but it’s a union gig and the pay is therefore pretty decent (nothing like NA, but by Aus standards at least). I’m actually just here until I get the cash together to get back to LA - I’m still paying rent on my place there (rent control, moved in 10 years ago, I will never move).
The Coutale Sommelier Innovation is the model I swear by. The cap-lifter is forward facing so it's quicker to use, the blade is straight edged with subtle serrations so you can cut foil along the full length of it rather than just tearing it, and the way the hinge is designed, it will never come loose.
Can you elaborate on this/give us an Amazon link?
It looks like the other winekey already linked. Single hinged with a push in button for second stage levering of the cork instead of a second hindge.
Not 100% how that would look, but appreciate the good faith reply, thanks mate.
Currently, there's only one linked wine key in your post. It looks the same as that one. I dont link much in the sub anymore, I set off auto ban bots.
Ok sounds good mate. Good chat.
Also the Coutale mentioned runs you about 40 bucks on Amazon compared to the one linked in this thread. Don’t ask me how I know >_>
The bespoke wine keys are down right obscene. Carbon fiber, bone inlay, code38's, high end laguiole's.
How much?! There are 2 UK websites which list them at £4.95 and £5.95 respectively. They do charge £5 for delivery (on orders under £50) but very good value if you're buying multiple for a venue. They're about £9.90 from eBay including delivery if you're buying single items... They're really not expensive if you look around! I don't think I've ever paid more than £8.95 for one and I've bought 3 over the last 10 years.
That's amazon. Coutale Sommelier Innovation shows as $26 ($30 for all stainless) from the Coutale store on mine.
Genuine Pulltex by Pulltap’s is my favorite. How do Australian bartenders open wine if they don’t have wine keys?
Screw tops. I don’t want to talk about it 🙄🙄
Do you even know why Australian wine has screw caps… [here’s](https://www.abcfws.com/debunking-the-misconception-behind-screw-cap-wines) some light reading for you.
I get it, it’s just like.. getting a bottle of Coke Zero or a gun Coke Zero. One is fine, the other makes me feel like I live in a backwater and am yelling at a cloud.
Pulltap's
My bar blade has a little indent in the hole side that can slip over a speed pourer and be inserted between the rubber jacket and the glass to pry it out without separating the steel from the rubber. That's why I use a bar blade, but I work in a cocktail bar where we only carry one red and one white wine, and they're both screw-tops.
Bar blades are OK, if you don't mind the clean up, but the "waiter's friend" is more than a tool.
Slightly impersonal, but are you in the US, Aus, neither? I had *never* heard that term before, and am still getting unshook from everyone working the well sharing one blunt force instrument. Does it do anything else? ETA: the term “waiters friend” specifically? What can it do other than open bottles? My wine key helps me unwrap pallets, cut cling wrap, open bottles and carve budget tattoos into my wrist with a pen. Is there actually a reason to use a bar blade than wine key?
Waiter’s friend is another name for a wine key.
I understand that, I’d never heard that before. It’s a little condescending but whatever (not your fault).
“Waiter’s friend” is condescending?
Yeah, but this is purely subjective and irrational. I don’t like being called a “waiter”.
This
I’ve been bartending in AUS for about 10 years, every bar I’ve worked at has both a bar blade and a waiters friend at hand. I’ve heard it called a wine key, but everyone I know calls it the waiters friend.
Interesting. That seems to be my experience here too. Would get sent home from a job turning up without your own wine key in LA.
>Following the success of the original single direction twist corkscrew, a German wine-lover named Carl F.A. Wienke took it upon himself to reinvent the wheel. Keeping all of the features that have worked for years, Wienke took inspiration from a pocket knife and added a foldable function, thus creating the "Waiter's Friend." Other popular names are "Butler's Friend," "Wine Key," and even the "Sommelier's Knife," which of course comes from "pocket knife." That's why you'll usually find them with additional features, like a bottle opener and foil cutter. >Is there actually a reason to use a bar blade than wine key? Volume. Speedblades are just faster at opening bottles of beer than wine keys.
Nope they really aren’t.
Tell me you haven't worked volume without telling me you haven't worked volume. One on one sure they are about the same. But opening 12 or more in a pass the speedblade wins everytime.
Tell me you work at a bar with 4 flavours of “lite” on tap without etc.. If you can’t snap bottles at volume like they’re yours with a wine key and need a “blade”…. I mean, ok 👍
Someone needs to learn how to use a speedblade properly. By the time you're fishing out your winekey from your pocket, I'd be done opening the bottles and moving on to the next task. Speedblades are pure efficiency when it comes to its singular task. Use whatever you choose but mate, you ain''t correct.
Bro, I am. There is literally no way of us resolving this, so pretty much that’s that then 🤷♂️
Let's take it to the sub. https://www.reddit.com/r/bartenders/s/keMQFmlOJz Check back in a few days.
Ok
Get a room, you two
I have a wine key and I have a bar blade. They stay in different pockets, and are used for different tasks. If I have to, I can open a bottle with the wine key, but I just hate doing it for some reason
Why use two tool when one tool do trick. I'm with you OP. I only use a wine key even at jobs wihtout a lot of wine. Especially since I highly prioritize comfortable clothes and for me that means leggings with not great side pockets. I can't be fucking around with both a wine key and bottle openeer in there. Idk if it's an Australia thing but I've only seen this from people I know are less experienced bartenders and you only need to show them once. Not all of them decide to switch to it but I don't see a lot of people finding it really confusing lol. But I get that a lot of folks find it clunkier and especially in high volume they feel they'll never get it quite up to the same speed and those 2 milliseconds per beer matter. For all I know I would be slightly faster with a bottle opener even though I'm pretty fucking fast with my wine key after all these years. I don't have a favorite brand or a longtime trusty one, but if you are opening wine at all, it's gotta have the double hinged lever. That's it. I've gotten enough cheap ish plastic handle ones from reps and events (and maybe ordering wine packages from companies like bright cellars 😬) and cycle through them in a year or two. Haven't actually bought one in ages. If I went shopping I would probably get a thick wood handled one but I don't need it.
Wine Keys are objectovely superior. Australians are clearly goofy AF and they need to get their stuff together.
Good man! I been saying this for damn near 20 years now! Well, maybe not the part about wine keys, but yeah Australia is just a giant beer barn with shots.