Sunday, November 30, 2014

And Talking of Nutcrackers...


We saw what looked like the ultimate nutcracker in a shop window in Spain, but the shop was shut & we moved on before it opened.


Then passing through Guarda (Portugal) we saw the one above & the shop was open, so we bought it immediately (€22).
The shop only had that one example & nothing else like it.
From memory, the Spanish one was similar, but maybe even more robust.
Assuming it was a common Iberian device, we then spent 3 weeks scouring hardware stores without finding anything at all...

Back home, the usual search engine doesn't find it either.
The nearest it gets is the American "Get Crackin":
https://www.lehmans.com/p-437-steel-nutcracker.aspx?show=all

It easily & efficiently handles our walnuts.
Size adjustment is instantaneous, by sliding the nut in the "V".
Effort is very low.
It is easy to control the movement, to avoid totally crushing the nuts.

But it doesn't look that festive on the table.
And you can't slip it in your pocket for the village "Nuts & New Wine" evenings...

Parting thot: "Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail." - Barack Obama