Can Opener Test

[ducttapetech]

This misunderstanding has been settled. All is good in MT.O land. Everyone stay calm. Stay CALM! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, PLEASE STAY CALM!!!



And, fyi, it was an unusual 8oz can of worms. In mustard sauce...
And I used the forehead smash method, followed by letting a dog gnaw on it.

Cool beans.

[Lynn LeFey]

Anyone up for a time-trial with the old-school hammer and chisel method?


EDIT: Gaaaaah! Apparently my p-38 is actually a P-51. Please feel free that in all instances in previous posts where I've said 'P-38' find/replace with 'p-51'. That is all. Carry on.

[MultiMat]

Has anyone test the Aussie F.R.E.D. tool? I imagine its results similar to the P-38, but since its longer, maybe better leverage???

Funny you should ask mate I sent a FRED to a member in the UK John & I was asking him about the can opener & he did this video  . Not sure if the FRED will win any competitions but it worked 

 

[dks]

This misunderstanding has been settled. All is good in MT.O land. Everyone stay calm. Stay CALM! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, PLEASE STAY CALM!!!

+1
All good now 

[lowtech]

Thanks for a very entertaining post about...Can openers. Should have written a few eMails for work and instead read 5 pages about Bean eating dogs, Cans of worms used in bakerys requiring industrial grade can openers and spoons that do the trick, too.

BTW: My Cat likes cooked Brokkoli and eats peas and beans , too when i leave the pot unattended.

[Lynn LeFey]

Cat food makers occasionally put peas and other legumes in cat food. Never heard of them eating broccoli though.

[Mr. Whippy]

Our cats eat corn.   And cheese.

edit to add: Oh, and one of the cats, "The Brazilian" likes to lick the dog's beans before they get them.  I don't know why.

[lowtech]

We found out when he stole a big piece from my plate, ran away with it, shoook it and ate all the finer parts, leaving the "branches" for me to pick up.

Our Dog checks the cat food bowls and vice versa after each of their meals. The Dog won´t eat Broccoli, but likes beans, rice, carrots and Pasta.

Sorry for getting off topic.

On Topic i want to say that i find the Vic can opener a real good one for not being a speSmurfpillsed tool. When living Single, i Used my Opinel in the kitchen and opened cans with my Spartan, but now i own a "proper" can opener.

[Lynn LeFey]

Okay, there's no real way I can get a good testing with every option of can opener. So, I sent an e-mail to Cutlerylover, asking if he'd do a video requesting folks to do a video response of time trials for various can opening methods (MTs, SAKs, P-38/P-51s, FREDs, etc.). I don't know the guy, and I doubt anything will come of it, but I figured it was worth a shot. He has a lot of followers on Youtube, and a better chance of getting a wide collection of data than I do. If anyone here is on drinking-buddy terms with him, a shout-out to this idea would be appreciated.

[dks]

  Ashley? 

[jzmtl]

Heh, I have a few MT's I can try, but consider I eat maybe one canned food every month or so, it'll take a long time. 

[Lynn LeFey]

jzmtl: That's why I thought it might be useful to get more folks involved. Not many people open tons of cans in a day, or maybe even a week. Heck, it took me 2 weeks before I opened enough cans to give each opener I had a shot to open one, let alone doing enough to get 'good' with any of them.

Also, I just had a test with a P-51 on a can of coffee (which i think is a #10 size). It was 70 seconds. I've never opened a can this size with a P-51 before. I had a couple slips where the tool hopped the rim, so lost a bit of time. Speed was good. Comfort at the end was not. I wouldn't want to do more than one #10 can with one at a single sitting. However, this is also only one of a handful of cans I've ever opened with a P-51. I'm sure a bit of practice would increase the speed. I don't think I'd do as fast with a vic with equal practice.

[Mr. Whippy]

jzmtl: That's why I thought it might be useful to get more folks involved. Not many people open tons of cans in a day, or maybe even a week. Heck, it took me 2 weeks before I opened enough cans to give each opener I had a shot to open one, let alone doing enough to get 'good' with any of them.

Also, I just had a test with a P-51 on a #10 can of coffee. It was 70 seconds. I've never opened a can this size with a P-51 before. I had a couple slips where the tool hopped the rim, so lost a bit of time. Speed was good. Comfort at the end was not. I wouldn't want to do more than one #10 can with one at a single sitting. However, this is also only one of a handful of cans I've ever opened with a P-51. I'm sure a bit of practice would increase the speed. I don't think I'd do as fast with a vic with equal practice.

Hate to say this but...

The thickness of steel in a large can of coffee isn't even close to the steel in the green bean cans.  jzmtl can comment on how tough the green bean cans are.  He had a chance to test MT openers at last years NAMU. 

[Mr. Whippy]

Forgot to mention, when I tried to open a green bean can with my P-51, it folded the point over on the 3rd plunge.

[Lynn LeFey]

 

Not even gonna bother.

[Lynn LeFey]

Putting this all into perspective:

Today is Thursday. Usually, I am alloted a burger on Thursdays. It's an understanding that my mostly-vegetarian husband and I have. I eat very inexpensive meat (usually chicken) when I eat it at all at home, and once a week I get a burger.

I told him today that I was apparently going to have to use my burger fund to instead get #10 cans of food, to get more info on the 'great raging can opener debate of 2012'.

His Response: 'No, you're getting a burger.'

He has reached the end of his desire to put up with my crazy. Further testing postponed. Sorry, I was having fun with my crazy, too....

[Mr. Whippy]

Lynn,

If you still have the coffee can lid, PM me an address and I'll send a SASE.  Send me the coffee lid.  I'll mic it and a green bean lid. 

[Lynn LeFey]

Meh. Just wait a while. #10 can can't be more than a few dollars. I'll swing one some time soon.

And, just to be clear, if I got (for instance) fruit, because I think there's a chance of actually finishing a can of peaches, is that going to be up to your standards, or do they use thicker metal on boiled vegetables compared to fruit in syrup.

[Mr. Whippy]

Meh. Just wait a while. #10 can can't be more than a few dollars. I'll swing one some time soon.

And, just to be clear, if I got (for instance) fruit, because I think there's a chance of actually finishing a can of peaches, is that going to be up to your standards, or do they use thicker metal on boiled vegetables compared to fruit in syrup.

Nope.  Canned fruit, vegetables and potatoes are all in the same kind of can.

[Lynn LeFey]

One more question, not directly related, but might be important for prepper folk. Are the #10 cans used by the LDS canneries going to be the same as the fruit/veggie cans? This isn't important to me, but MAY be important to people who stockpile food in 25-year shelf-life #10s.

[Mr. Whippy]

One more question, not directly related, but might be important for prepper folk. Are the #10 cans used by the LDS canneries going to be the same as the fruit/veggie cans? This isn't important to me, but MAY be important to people who stockpile food in 25-year shelf-life #10s.

The real answer is:  I don't know.

But the cans I open have a coating inside, that prevents the contents from directly contacting the metal (I assume to prevent corrosion). 

[Mr. Whippy]

MAJOR UPDATE....
Today, the EZ DUZ IT can opener arrived (from Amazon.com).  I had forgotten to get one, but when my wife said the OXO can opener couldn't open #10 cans anymore, I remembered this thread and quickly ordered.

Tonight, it was put to the test.  The BossLady says it is the BEST can opener she has ever used.  Extremely heavy duty.  Here are some photos:

OXO and EZ DUZ IT






So Lynn:  I officially concede.        

[Lynn LeFey]

Ummm... wow...

Well, crap. What do I argue about NOW?

I got one some time back as well, a few months ago. I only replaced my old Swing-A-Way, due to 'crud' on the cutting wheel.

I hope the EZ-DUZ-IT gives you years of long life. And yeah, they're built like frickin' tanks. I'm going to have to pass the torch on to you, Mr. Whippy, on reporting back about the long-term durability of the EZ-DUZ-IT versus #10 cans. I just don't open enough (or, really any, ever) to give it the workout it deserves.

If you'd like, just for fun, do a time trial on it on a #10.

In the event that this is the last of the can opener discussion, I'm putting in links to the other 2 related threads I did, time trials on 15oz and #10 cans.

15oz can time trials...
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,37059.msg595477.html#msg595477

#10 cans time trials...
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,37113.msg596469.html#msg596469

[Outback in Idaho]

  Hope Lynn LeFey doesn't mind me posted here on her thread. Was after another can of peaches, for an afternoon snack, when I decided to compare the Charge TTi & Climber can openers again, and post the pictorial results.

  Maybe Leatherman might be interested in the results as well, since their product left metal splinters on the outer edge! 

  Test subject: A delicious can of Freestone Peaches. 



  Contenders: Leatherman Charge TTi, Victorinox Climber, US Speaker P-38








  Pictorial results will show the outer edge of the cut, over-view looking down with the lid, and inside the can views.


  Outer Edge of Can

Leatherman Charge TTi


Victorinox Climber


US Speaker P-38




  Can Edge & Lid View

Leatherman Charge TTi ~ Note: Left behind many metal splinters.


Victorinox Climber


US Speaker P-38




  Inside The Can View

Leatherman Charge TTi


Victorinox Climber


US Speaker P-38



  Conclusion: All had cut the same can open and without much effort.

  • Leatherman can opener left behind unsafe metal splinters.
  • Victorinox' Swiss can opener takes a bit to get used to, yet does seem to open slightly faster & easier, and leaves a safer working surface.
  • US Speaker also excelled in performance, though still on a keyring it was a lot slower. However it did not create metallic splinters or a rough edge. The lid could double as a formed-serrated steak knife too. 

[Outback in Idaho]

  A closer look at the edges of the Leatherman Charge TTi & Victorinox Climber surface:

  Leatherman Charge TTi - Splintered outer edge, safer inside edge



  Victorinox Climber - Smooth outer edge, fairly safe inside edge

[Lynn LeFey]

I dont mind inthe least that others post their can opener stuff here. It keeps it all in fewer threads and makes it easier to find.

I dont recall any problems with metal splinters from any of my openers, although a number of them did chew rims up. Something to keep in mind.

Also, we.re under a tornado watch, and I,m on my Kindle ATM, so expect bad punctuation.

[shecky]

I've had Leatherman opener result in a few metal slivers, in my finger, too. Pretty annoying.