A simple manual tool, typically made of metal wire or a single piece of pressed metal, designed to open older-style metal cans that do not have a pull-tab or easy-open lid. It features a larger, often multi-sided loop for gripping the can’s rim and a pointed tip with a curved lever for piercing and peeling the lid.
“Instructions” for Opening a Can:
- Position the Opener: Place the larger, octagonal (or similarly shaped) loop of the can opener firmly over the raised rim of the can you wish to open. Ensure the pointed tip of the opener is positioned on the top surface of the can lid, near the rim.
- Pierce the First Hole: Apply firm, downward pressure on the pointed tip of the can opener, using a slight rocking motion if necessary, to pierce a triangular hole through the metal lid of the can. The tip is designed to create a clean puncture.
- Pierce the Second Hole: Without moving the can opener’s loop from the rim, reposition the pointed tip approximately half an inch to an inch away from the first hole along the circumference of the lid. Again, apply firm pressure to pierce a second triangular hole. The distance between the holes will determine the width of the metal strip you will peel back.
- Lever and Peel: Once both holes are pierced, insert the curved, hook-like end of the can opener (the lever) into the first hole you created. Position the fulcrum of the lever (the point where it bends or curves) against the rim of the can.
- Peel Back the Lid: Gently rock the lever downwards, using the rim of the can as leverage. This action will tear and peel back a strip of the can’s lid between the two pierced holes. Continue this rocking and peeling motion along the circumference of the can, using the second hole as your starting point for the next lever action. You may need to reposition the lever in the holes and move the opener around the can’s rim to peel back the entire lid.
- Exercise Caution: Be extremely careful when handling a can opened with this type of opener. The edges of the pierced holes and the peeled-back lid can be very sharp and can easily cause cuts. It is advisable to peel the lid back in a way that minimizes sharp, jagged edges and to discard the lid carefully once removed.
- Empty the Contents: Once a sufficient portion of the lid has been peeled back, you can access the contents of the can.
This “recipe” for using a pierce-and-lever can opener highlights a manual process that required a bit of dexterity and caution. Modern can openers and easy-open cans have largely replaced this method, leading to the sentiment expressed in the image’s text. For those who have never encountered this tool, the bent piece of wire might indeed be puzzling.