Metrokane Deluxe Rabbit with Foilcutter

The corkscrew rotates as it plunges into the cork during the first stroke. While the screw is rotating all the force of the handle is pushing down on it. The bearing assembly (part of the screw) is just a couple of washers. Because of friction the screw doesn't want to turn, requiring a lot of force at the handle. The bearing is a weak point of the design in my opinion.

After a few months use the friction got worse and it became more and more difficult to use. It took so much force that eventually the screw bent. I had cut it out with a hacksaw.

I ordered a replacement screw and noticed the bearing was dry of any lubrication. Hmmmm. I added a few drops of motor oil. Now the Rabbit flys! It is SO much easier to use. If the cork is old (we like those old bottles) it is practically effortless to uncork the bottle and to uncork the Rabbit. An amazing difference. New, fresh wines with plastic seals are almost as easy to remove.

My suggestion is to put a few drops of a motor oil or machine oil on the bearings. Remove the cap, take out the screw ("worm" in Rabbit land), and get it totally slippery. If you don't have a quart of motor oil handy, use Vaseline or a mineral oil. Don't use a vegetable oil; it will only work for a while before it oxidizes and turns sticky.

Cheers.


Now...a pleasure to open a bottle of wine!   January 17, 2003
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I purchased the "Rabbit" for my husband this Christmas. We used to uncork wine with a typical "waiter corkscrew". We are not waiters, and would inevitably spill wine, break corks, and feel like idiots. It took a few bottles of practice to feel like a pro using the Metrokane rabbit. It's really a cool system. I've watched my husband open a bottle of wine in 10 seconds flat. My advice? Be patient. Learn the machine, and after a few tries, you'll be uncorking effortlessly!


Good for about 10 openings   December 23, 2002
 6 out of 10 found this review helpful

You would think that after spending a hundred bucks on a wine opener that would be about it. No. After about 10 bottles the screw part gets dull and just pushes the cork into the bottle. Apparently, the manufacturer doesn't provide or sell replacements...no luck on the web site nor through e-mail. The machine has all the usefullnes of a dead bunny.


Bunny is fast and pretty, but look out for pinched fingers   December 7, 2002
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

The Rabbit is in a beautiful plastic case. Removing it the first time took me more than ten minutes. What a puzzle! I was about ready to use a hammer to smash the case to pieces. Turns out there are 2 wire-ties, accessible only from the bottom of the case, that must be removed. These ties are under the instruction booklet that fits in a slot in the bottom. I did remove and read the booklet the first thing. But the ties were so snugly woven into holes in the bottom that I thought they were an integral part of the case.

All things considered, the Metrokane Deluxe Rabbit is an excellent piece of machinery for getting a cork out. I would give it a higher rating except that it pinched my fingers more than a few times. The complete process takes four strokes: The Rabbit is attached, like a nutcracker, to the bottle rim. The first stroke, handle up and over the top, twirls and plunges the worm (corkscrew) into the cork. The next stroke, back and down, pulls the cork out. You un-grip the bottle and are done in a few seconds, as advertised.

So far, so good, and easy as pie. Now the cork must be released. You repeat the first stroke, which locks the cork in readiness for removal from the worm. The fourth step, like the second, is back and down and unwinds the worm from the cork. The action is exactly the reverse of the first step -- quite impressive. But this always takes the most effort for me. The problem is that the worm unwinds completely out of the cork before the handle has pivoted through most of its full arc. It is thus free to swing all the way closed with no resistance. This it does with alacrity -- smashed fingers! Take care.

All in all, I like it a lot. It is by far the fastest and easiest device to decork a bottle. But watch your fingers when decorking the Rabbit.