Most people pay corkscrews little mind. They're perfectly content with the free one from the local wine shop; or the cheap double-winged version; or even the Swiss army knife. There are battery-operated corkscrews and cumbersome models that operate with a press and a pull.

Sommeliers the world over rely overwhelmingly on a simple device known as the waiter's friend or the wine key. Essentially a knifelike handle with a spiral worm for inserting into the cork and a hinged fulcrum for resistance, it has stood the test of time since it was patented in Germany in 1882. Basic versions go for less than $10.

Enter the Code-38 wine knife from Australia, engineered with the highest principles of design and top-flight materials. It retails from $220 to $410.