A bit of misfortune struck at the beach last week. A cork broke off in a bottle of bubble. I couldn’t possibly disappoint Mrs. E. and took the opportunity to have her film me (and my beach belly…. posture Chris!) sabering open the bottle. At home I use a Kenyan war dagger brought back from Africa by my friend Tom. It is heavy, blunted and makes it very easy to take the top off of the bottle. As the dagger had been left at home, I used a (very lightweight) chef’s knife that was at the house.
Please forgive the noise (my son was running roughshod at the time) and my nasally voice. I’m still getting over a head cold. The posture and beach belly? Well, it was back to running and the typical diet as of yesterday.
Enjoy and do try this at home, it makes a good party trick. Just watch your aim.
Great lesson Chris Now can you show me how to use a wine opener like the ones that you somehow place over the rim after screwing in the cork, Then lift. I am doing something wrong!
Not Chris but let me have a go at it.
Don’t lift the handle of the opener. It’s a lever. Push down
Thanks for the sabering lesson Chris.
I wonder if it will work with a rapier?
Hi David V, maybeee, but you’d have to hit it very close to the bell guard and I wouldn’t guarantee the integrity of the blade after.
Bravo! I have always wanted to saber a bottle of champagne! Very cool!
just glad that there were no appendages clipped in the swipe!
pve
Hi Mrs. PVE, and that is why you use the back of the knife… or the 300 yr. old Kenyan war dagger which has been blunted.
I’ve never seen or heard anything about this “technique”. I thought it was a creative method that you invented (necessity is the mother of invention)! However, my husband, who has an interest in both wine and the Napoleonic era, informed me that one of the criteria Napoleon used for hiring his staff was their ability to saber a bottle of champagne.
S. Alder Sobol, one must have one’s standards….
E,
The demonstration, the history, fascinating. Another skill to master. So impressed am I, I returned the favor and tweeted this link to my modest group of followers. So expect to see hordes of knife-wielding warriors out there with impeccable manners
and sartorial style.
Incidentally, couldn’t find you on twitter. Are you under something other than easy and elegant?
Hello eA! Thank you, that was nice. Run it all together: EasyAndElegant and I should pop up. I’m following you, so my mug should be visible among the hundreds of shots on your sidebar, too.
Love the “Easy Does It” video series!
Kudos!