{"id":4500,"date":"2025-01-21T11:49:16","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T11:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/?p=4500"},"modified":"2025-01-21T11:49:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T11:49:16","slug":"vintage-kitchen-tool-baffles-online-users","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/?p=4500","title":{"rendered":"Vintage kitchen tool baffles online users"},"content":{"rendered":"

Online users went on a digital treasure hunt, trying to identify the purpose of a weapon-like item found in a kitchen drawer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While some people immediately recognized the vintage tool and shared stories about their battle wounds, others were left scratching their heads.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keep reading to learn more about this handy kitchen tool!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not too long ago, an online user shared a photo of a curious metal tool with a design that seemed both intricate and practical.<\/p>\n

\u201c[What is this thing?] Found it while cleaning out grandma\u2019s house,\u201d writes one\u00a0Redditor, inviting online users to join a digital treasure hunt in identifying the peculiar object. \u201cShe had it in her\u00a0kitchen, we assume it is some sort of can opener multitool but have no idea how it would be used.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within hours, comments poured in. Some users suggested it might be a 19th<\/sup>-century can opener, while others thought it could be a multipurpose tool for fishing or camping. A few even joked that it could double as a weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a food container expert so I wouldn\u2019t know,\u201d writes one netizen, who quickly gave up on solving the mystery. A second shared their guess: \u201cOld school can opener\u2026puncture into can and lever forward one step at a time to cut the top off.\u201d The comment continues, \u201cMakes great jagged edges you can cut yourself on and get tiny metal shards into the contents.\u201d<\/p>\n

A third, referring to the sharp edges of the tool, shares, \u201cStill have a scar where it slipped and embedded in my arm when younger!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget [when] this went right through my hand trying to open tin,\u201d recalls\u00a0another.<\/p>\n

The primitive looking kitchen tool is a\u00a0vintage\u00a0can opener that left many scars on unskilled users who tried to free the contents of a can.<\/p>\n

Humble can opener<\/h3>\n

The story of the can opener begins with canned food, which was invented long before anyone thought about how to open it easily.<\/p>\n

Early cans required brute force to open, and it wasn\u2019t until 1858 when American inventor Ezra Warner created a tool designed to pierce the lids of cans. Resembling a lever with a curved blade, this opener was clunky but effective. It was widely used by the U.S. military during the Civil War, but it wasn\u2019t practical for\u00a0home\u00a0use.<\/p>\n

In 1870, William Lyman revolutionized the can opener with a rotating cutting wheel, a design that made opening cans much easier and safer. Lyman\u2019s invention laid the groundwork for modern can openers, though it still required some skill and strength to operate.<\/p>\n

Can openers through history<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Lever-Type opener<\/strong>\u00a0(1858): The original design by Ezra Warner, used mainly by the military.<\/li>\n
  • Rotary opener<\/strong>\u00a0(1870): William Lyman\u2019s design, featuring a cutting wheel.<\/li>\n
  • Keyed cans<\/strong>\u00a0(1900s): Built-in keys for rolling back lids (think old sardine cans).<\/li>\n
  • Electric openers\u00a0<\/strong>(1930s): A bulky but innovative leap into automation.<\/li>\n
  • Ergonomic handheld openers<\/strong>\u00a0(1950s): User-friendly and efficient.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n