Yeah why does it cost so much?
targeting a niche market and even more specific market in that already small group. Not many people without decent amounts of disposable income would even think about buying a device like this, or have the aged wines necessary to even have this be a concern.
I love mine. Worth every penny.
I’m shocked there isn’t a Chinese knock off yet.
I’ll do that if I forgot my Durand but after using the latter the former starts to seem like a pain in the neck. But I agree that it’s a very good second choice.
I’ve used that method a few times, but the construction on the ah-so part of the Durand is FAR better than that of anything I’ve seen available on its own, and it really does work better. I understand not liking the price, but the combination you’re talking about doesn’t achieve exactly the same effect, even though it’s the same idea.
I completely agree…I limped along without one for a year or two. Once I got mine I felt like I shouldn’t have waited so long. It makes opening older bottles much easier. I will be using it on a '93 Clos de la Barre next week for my birthday.
Used it on a bottle of 1983 bdx last night, and although the cork looked all of 30+ years, extraction was easy and clean. The device works very well
Seems like charging $200+ for something that costs them $8 to manufacture in China is pretty brutal. I’ve avoided it on principle. 
If you had read any of the thread, it isn’t made in china. But why let facts get in the way of a good irrational argument!
Yeah, but it should have been. Then the price would be reasonable.
absurdly expensive but worth every penny
I open a lot of older bottles at work and rarely have had a problem.
Anything over 10 years, out comes the Durand.
It’s paid for itself multiple times over just for the ease/speed of extracting old, crumbly corks.
Totally worth it.
why would “reasonable” price matter? we pay hundreds of dollars for wine. then hundreds more to store it for decades. how reasonable is that to majority of the world?
would i like it to be the same quality but cheaper? sure…but i do not see this being a tool every person in the world cares to have. thus - it is made in small quantities and with a level of craftsmanship that requires higher pricing.
mine has more than paid for itself. I got it as an anniversary gift from my wife and that adds additional value to it for me. Thanks again to the inventor.
Maybe it’s just me but I have had issues with older crumbly corks (mostly 60s) that even the Durand seems unable to extract cleanly. But I probably get more of the cork out than I would otherwise.
Sorry to disagree with most all other posters, but I think the Durand is quite overrated, especially considering the absurd price.
I have opened a fair amount of 30-40 year old bottles over 20 years or more, and many of those corks want to go IN at the slightest touch. When that is the case, the Durand worm does not seem to have much advantage over any other (far less costly) cork screw worm when it comes to applying just enough pressure to pierce the cork, holding it, but not enough to cause the cork to fall into the bottle, while at the same time using an Ah so to ease the cork upwards. This sometimes means using both hands and/or my teeth, but it’s essentially the same concept that the Durand claims to have a monopoly on. It doesn’t.
Interesting. I recall a video of François Audouze (who’s certainly opened more than his share of old bottles) in which he takes a regular corkscrew, puts it in at an angle (I presume to avoid pushing the cork in), then loosens it with an ah-so (while the corkscrew prevents it from going inward), and then carefully pulls out.
Can you point me to where they claim to have a monopoly on the concept?
I have opened wines worth in aggregate thousands and thousands of dollars (many of these other people’s wines that they bring to tastings) with the Durand and I have found it worth every penny I paid for it. I have had only one bottle (a 1979 Corton) where the cork went into the bottle. For the rest, the Durand has saved the day, often after other corkscrews and methods have failed. A highlight was in January when it saved a 1959 Latour that a friend brought to a wine tasting.
I do not use it for every wine (for young wines a screwpull is easier), but I use it on any older wine and it is great.
I will say this - if you don’t drink older wines, you really don’t need it. But, if you do drink expensive older wines, the Durand is a must IMHO.
It’s all about patience. I have extracted corks with a Durand that I could have pushed in with my finger. CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY start the Durand at the center of the cork at a slight angle. Once it catches, gradually straighten as you inset. If the cork is so soft, it will straighten and then you add the Ah So part. My only problem is that I would have liked the worm to be about a half inch longer.
I once brought one to a restaurant. Everyone, including the waiter, thought I was a crazy geek. About half way through the meal, the waiter or sommelier came over and asked to borrow it because he had a problem cork at another table. I went over to the other table and extracted the cork myself, explaining that I did not have time to teach a course on how to use it. Saved his day. No, they didn’t offer me a pour (bad manners on their part) but it was some old flavorless Burg, so it was OK. 