4 eye bottle opener

[flyadive]

I had to have one of these bottle openers. Thought it was really cool so I purchased it!
It has a #“4”inside the back.
Does anyone have info on maker , year and such?
Thanks people
HH

 

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[Louie D]

Looks like an old Pink Floyd album cover

 

[Red-Coat]

I love it. There are modern versions kicking around, notably from ‘Design Toscano’ of Illinois since 1989, but that looks like an original vintage piece. They were made with various faces (male and female) and yours will almost certainly be from one of two companies… both in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.

The Wilton family established a foundry called “Susquehanna Castings” in 1892 which produced cast iron items, some of which (doorstops, trivets and other homeware like your bottle opener) were decoratively painted and sold under the name “Wilton Products” from around 1935. By about 1965 they were mainly manufacturing with an aluminium alloy known as ‘Armetale’. Their novelty bottle-openers all seem to have the Wilton name embossed as part of the casting on the inside.

The other company was John Wright, established in 1947, manufacturing cast iron toys and various novelties through to the 1980s, when they switched focus to reproduction and shutter hardware. In 1969 they had bought out Wilton, who had moved to Mount Joy, PA earlier in that year.

My understanding is that pieces without the ‘Wilton’ mark are by John Wright and so will be late 1940s onwards.

[PS: the 1971 Pink Floyd ‘Relics’ album had different cover artwork in different countries. The US release featured the four-eyed bottle openers, photographed from vintage items.]

 

[flyadive]

Looks like an old Pink Floyd album cover

I knew there was an album cover with that!!!
I was thinking “the Stones” album[emoji106]
Thanks Louie

 

[flyadive]

I love it. There are modern versions kicking around, notably from ‘Design Toscano’ of Illinois since 1989, but that looks like an original vintage piece. They were made with various faces (male and female) and yours will almost certainly be from one of two companies… both in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.

The Wilton family established a foundry called “Susquehanna Castings” in 1892 which produced cast iron items, some of which (doorstops, trivets and other homeware like your bottle opener) were decoratively painted and sold under the name “Wilton Products” from around 1935. By about 1965 they were mainly manufacturing with an aluminium alloy known as ‘Armetale’. Their novelty bottle-openers all seem to have the Wilton name embossed as part of the casting on the inside.

The other company was John Wright, established in 1947, manufacturing cast iron toys and various novelties through to the 1980s, when they switched focus to reproduction and shutter hardware. In 1969 they had bought out Wilton, who had moved to Mount Joy, PA earlier in that year.

My understanding is that pieces without the ‘Wilton’ mark are by John Wright and so will be late 1940s onwards.

[PS: the 1971 Pink Floyd ‘Relics’ album had different cover artwork in different countries. The US release featured the four-eyed bottle openers, photographed from vintage items.]

Thank you RED-COAT !
So my piece is after 1940? Which is what I thought. It’s in very good condition and doesn’t appear to have been hung or used! The #4 means fourth casting?
I love it too.
My original plan was to hang it and use it but I think I’ll put it away in my display case!

 

[Red-Coat]

Thank you RED-COAT !
So my piece is after 1940? Which is what I thought. It’s in very good condition and doesn’t appear to have been hung or used! The #4 means fourth casting?
I love it too.
My original plan was to hang it and use it but I think I’ll put it away in my display case!

You're welcome. Yes, if by John Wright it would have to be after 1947. I don't know how long they made these things for, but they were still making toys and novelties until the 1980s. The #4 will probably be a mould number.