Denny’s Adventures in Allee Willis’ “Willis Wonderland” (Part 87 – August 2010)

Submitted by denny January 8th, 2011
Certifikitsch Winner

I’ve removed a lot of corks from wine bottles and I’ve never seen the “cork jet”.

I love how it tells us that it will reach the bottom of long neck bottles! Whew, thank god!

Pickle fork.

The Tap Icer and it’s automatic!

Amazing illustrations.

Nice to know that this was made in my home state of Pennsylvania.

10 Responses to “Denny’s Adventures in Allee Willis’ “Willis Wonderland” (Part 87 – August 2010)”

  1. Allee Willis

    I absolutely love vintage bar and kitchen tools. I love the packaging is much as I love the products themselves. Sometimes even more.

    I bought the Cork Jet because the box was so cheesy. The color is so drained out and the combination of that sickly gray and the bright green really intrigued me as a a kitsch lover. It came with the stain, wAhich only enhances it for me. I’ve actually never used it as I’m not a wine drinker so rarely have a need to remove corks, but now that I look at it I think I need to drag it out for guests who bring their own bottles.

    A Pickle Fork is a brilliant idea. Don’t ask me how many times I’ve gotten my hands stuck in a pickle jar. Although I haven’t used this particular pickle fork to stab at my pickles and olives I do have another one I actively dunk in that came without that fantastic label.

    By the way, my favorite store-bought pickles are Bubbies. They really taste like the real Kosher deal.

    I just love the name “Ice Tapper” as well as the fact that it came as a tool for a Servel refrigerator. I do have to say though that I tried this many a time and unfortunately the name is about the only thing that works about this as other than making a nice percussive sound it never split open any ice cube I’ve tapped it on. Besides, who wants to hold a freezing cold ice cube in their hand let alone deal with the germs that go along with the ice once it’s tapped and dumped into a glass?

  2. k2dtw

    Great post Denny… Always love seeing pieces from the bar and kitchen.
    Allee, you have a wonderful collection. Does the Cork-Jet shoot the cork into the bottle???… The brown bakelite handle on the long pickle fork is awsome. Love being able to see the box for the Tap-Icer…I’ve never seen the graphics… Beautiful tools!!

    • Allee Willis

      Again, I’ve never actually tried it but I always assumed it pulled the cork OUT.

      You don’t even want to know how many bar and kitchen tools and gadgets I have like this…

      Are there any flea markets or swap meets I need to be aware of in Detroit for when I come in April? The weekend I’d be there would be the first Saturday and second Sunday of the month.

        • Allee Willis

          Is the It Royal Oak one you’re talking about inside an old Armory building? I went to one there once that was great but I think it may have been on 10 Mile.

          • k2dtw

            There was a armory in Oak Park, on 10 Mile Rd (gone) I don’t remember going to a show there???… There were at one time 2 Armory’s both on 8 Mile Rd. that had great shows. One Armory is near Northland, the other is eastside on 8 Mile near Ryan Rd??

            The Russell
            http://ricdetroit.org/2010/?id=home
            This is the Russell Industrial Center…keep checking their events..
            It’s a great place at I-75 & I-94… It is HUGE old factory bldg, now filled with Artist Studio’s, they have all mediums including Glass Blowing, Steel Welding and Photography. The owner, Dennis Kefallinos, also owns the Kresge Building Downtown that was across from Hudson’s on Woodward and State St. He has restructured the main floor in the Kresge Bldg for retail, bringing in multiple dealers.
            http://www.detroityes.com/news/070419/601pics/101.htm

            • Allee Willis

              Before I come to Detroit in April I should compile a list of things you suggest I try and check out while I’m there. Though I’m coming for a week I don’t know how much time I’ll have because in addition to family, checking out the band at Mumford, and doing some rehearsing and the conducting performance at the Fox, I’m also doing a bunch of press, taking some meetings to try and figure out something that Lily Tomlin and I can do in Detroit together, and I’m also speaking at a three-day conference called “Rust Belt to Artists Belt ” from Ap. 6-8, about changing industrial cities that are decaying into thriving artists centers, at the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education at the College for Creative Studies. But I trust your taste and I know you know your stuff so as it gets closer I should have a target list of things that I don’t know about that I should try and check out in Detroit. And I hope we get to meet too.

  3. denny

    I’m researching my schedule for April. It’s killing me to think I may have to take my finals around that time…..will let you know…..

    With all that craziness going on, I have no idea how I would even get close to you out there….

    • Allee Willis

      I definitely understand the conflicts of the finals and travel. How close are the finals to April 7th-10?

      There will definitely be craziness going on but all wonderful and fabulous craziness. As far as how you would even get close, you would be in my personal entourage. Are you kidding, especially with your documentation proclivities??!