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Howdy ,
So , why would old violin players keep a wine cork in their violin case ? Well , to clean off built up rosin from their strings when an alcohol swab wasn't handy , of course ...
And why a small hand cuff key as well ? Because they fit the lock on vintage violin cases ...some require a little file work on the flag end but others work fine as is ..
Don't want to just lay yer bow on a desk or table ? Try notching a cork to fit the frog end and a thin slice of cork for the tip to set on ....instant Bow holder ..
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I usually use a cork (with a small slot cut in it) to clean my violin strings. I like to clean them at the end of any playing session, so I'm cleaning them usually a couple times a day. I am too much of a klutz to trust myself not to get alcohol on my acoustic violin sooner or later if I used swabs that often. LOL
If you clean the strings often enough with a cork and a wipe-down with a clean cloth, they don't really get bad enough to need the alcohol. The rosin doesn't get much chance to cake up on them
I do use alcohol swabs to clean my electric, though, since I can use alcohol to clean pretty much the whole instrument.
Really nice idea with the bow rest, though. Small, portable, effective.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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I thought that the handcuff key may have been a leftover from some violin B&D thing. 
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of 
..... What was I saying???? 
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Finally! A use for wine corks! And it's music related!
When my husband and I were dating we discovered that we both saved wine corks. After we got married, we continued to save them, believing that we would find a good use for them some day.
We came up with a few ideas like a bulletin board or a trivet, which I never made, and I cut up a few and used slices to stabilize wobbly tables and chairs. But we never came up with a really great idea that warranted saving so many corks. So, eventually we liquidated our collection. Now, I just keep a few on-hand for wobbly furniture, etc.
And now I'm going to make a couple of violin string cleaners and bow holders. That takes care of four of them. 
Thanks for the tip!
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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Nice to know these things. And a cork is perfect - small, light weight.
I usually just use a dry soft cloth to wipe down my strings, but now I'm gonna give the cork a try.
"Music is what feelings sound like." ~ Author Unknown
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A couple little tips on using a cork to clean strings..
If you cut a slot a few mm deep into the cork to fit the string into, it makes cleaning go faster, and it makes it easy to also get the underside of the strings..
And if you tilt the violin sideways so any rosin dust or cork bits won't fall on the violin, it makes for less work when wiping the violin itself down with a cloth afterwards.
Probably pretty obvious, but I figured I'd mention it.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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Can it be used as a mute?
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it ..(William Shakespeare in Twelfth Night)
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suresh said
Can it be used as a mute?
LOL... reminded me of the old saying " put a cork in it" 
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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"Darn", Now I'll have to spend more money for wine that uses real cork.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Awesome tips.
I have a very very very large wine cork collection. Not really collecting, but I tend to toss the corks in a ceramic bowl in a cabinet below. Ha ha.. I do make little Cork Santa's at Christmas... that is my excuse.
I even have a bag of corks in the garage because I got a funny eyebrow raise once when I tossed a cork and the bowl was over flowing... the look was like "really mom... ? ha ha so I bag them up now and put in the garage... ha ha my closet cork collection
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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I dont have that many Toni, but I bet if I scrounged I could come up with at least 20 out of junk drawers ,etc
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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When I first got my chin rest one of the cork pads was missing. I sliced a bit of cork off, shaped it and glued it in place.
Other uses?
Place a cork in the crook of your thumb and forefinger to keep that spot open - help you not squeeze your thumb.
Or how about this?
Open mouth and bite down gently proceed to bow away. Helps ease your pain when screeching!!
Violinist start date - May 2013
Fiddler start date - May 2014
FIDDLE- Gift from a dear friend. A 1930-40 german copy, of a french copy of a Stradivarius. BOW - $50 carbon fiber. Strings - Dominants with E Pirastro Gold string.
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ha ha "Open mouth and bite down gently proceed to bow away. Helps ease your pain when screeching!! "
ha ha.. that is so funny...but true.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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I tried the cork string cleaner. It works great! Thanks for the tip, Tucson!
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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Does it matter whether it's real cork or synthetic?
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Works real well. Thanks for the tip, Tucs and Dan.
The only problem is I have to finish a wine bottle before I can use the cork, lol.
The reason I use alcohol and not cork is that i'm not a wino, never was into wine.
Another reason is that by using the alcohol I can clean the fingerboard and strings all the way up to the nut and remove all the oil and grime.
Ken.
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