• Automatic corkscrews
• Variety of bar items including complete bar sets
• Magnetic knife racks
• Letter openers

• Corkscrews
• Bottle stoppers
• Two piece pourers
• Bottle openers
• Can piercers (openers)
• Claret spoons in two sizes (Lassman called these swizzle sticks with a barley twist stem).
• Double jigger
• Letter opener

Complete Bar Set   Click on picture to see details	Double Jigger Measure 3 3/4" wide by 3 1/4" long Click on picture to see details	Corkscrew 4 1/4" long by 1 1/2" diameter Click on picture to see details
Two Piece Pourer 3 1/2" long by 1 1/2" diameter Click on picture to see details	Bottle Opener 3 3/4" long by 1 1/2" diameter Click on picture to see details	Can Opener  3 1/2" long by 1 1/2" long Click on picture to see details
Claret Spoon 10" long x 1 1/2" diameter	more pictures coming

The paperweight handles were made by Vasart Glass (and possibly later by Strathearn Glass) in Perth, Scotland.  Lassman & Co. purchased their paperweight handles from George Dunlop who marketed Vasart glass and paperweights under his own Pirelli Glass label.  Current information is that all assembly was done by Lassman, although some collectors believe that Vasart may have done some assembly using parts provided by Lassman.  The Lassman firm may have also purchased other paperweight handles from other sources, although no examples of this are known.

Aside from the glass paperweight handles, all the other parts were made at the Lassman factory in the Kilburn borough of North London.  Assembly also took place there.  The firm was located in a converted townhouse at 306 Kilburn Lane.  The site is now occupied by Jugg Foods.  It was never a large firm and at its peak employed about ten people including managers.

Shown below is a collection of objects still in the Lassman family collection.  Note in particular the previously unknown configuration with a paperweight mounted on a brass base.

Other interesting facts:

• The corkscrews were cut on a lathe from a solid cylinders of steel.  This is different from most corkscrews which are either forged or made from twisted wire.  The required machinery to make the corkscrew were designed and built in-house
• Corkscrews were produced not only as bar tools but also for the extraction of packing glands (gaskets) in ship engines.  The packing gland extractors were sold in sets of six different sizes, from 0.125 inch screw width to 1.5 inch width, each with a T handle on a twisted steel stem up to 15 inches in length
• The can piercer (opener) cutting angle was specially calculated by a mathematician hired for the purpose and paid £50 for the job
• The bottle openers were cut from extruded brass bars designed for the purpose
• Individual items were sold separately in special boxes and there were also smaller sets.  The complete bar set was the top of the range and sold for approximately £25
• The fancy cases, such as for the bar set, were made by Seige & Co in London
• The items were finished in a chrome plate or in rarer cases a gold plate
• The company also made very few gearshift knobs on special order.  However Vasart also made gearshift knobs and all of the known examples are Vasart and not Lassman.

Samuel Lassman's son, Malcolm Lassman, was the Managing Director director of the company in the 1970s and 1980s.  Another son, Lionel was also involved in the company for a few years and was also a director.  In 1986, Jack Halsey, acquired the firm and moved it to Watford in Herts where it continues to make padlocks and other products under the name Lawrence Churchill  Ltd.  Jack had previously been the foreman and manager of the company after Samuel Lassman died in 1971.

Special thanks to Malcolm Lassman who provided much of the information and some of the pictures for this page.

If you have any comments or information, please e-mail me at: aport@paperweights.com

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Copyright ©  2006 Allan Port

Revised 11/26/2006