Thoughts on bottle openers

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's been a running joke for years that something isn't a multitool unless it has a bottle opener, and, given the number of tools on the market that do vs don't, you have to wonder if it's actually true.

Admittedly some are better than others, and I can see why they are included- I mean, other than a flathead screwdriver, they are probably the easiest tool to make, as most are little more than a notch.  And, of course, if all you are making is a flathead screwdriver, why not actually cut in a notch too?

But, how important is it to have one?  I use them from time to time, and probably more often than I need to, just because I have one handy, but are they really as much of a necessity as their prevalence would suggest?  I have opened many twist off bottles with an opener, mostly because I have one handy, and, I have seen first hand (no pun intended) what happens to someone's palm when they try to twist off a top that either isn't a twist off or is being belligerent, but that's beside the point.

Given how many ways there are to pop the top off a bottle (a quick YouTube search brings up hundreds of methods), is it really that opportunity to carry one?

A similar argument could be made for a corkscrew, but there are a few differences:

1- corkscrews aren't on EVERY tool
2- while there are many other ways of removing a cork, none are as convenient as a corkscrew
3- corkscrews can also carry mini screwdrivers and other tools

So.... back to bottle openers (or cap lifters if you prefer)- are they really a necessity or are they just so prevalent because they are an easy way to sneak in another function?

Def

[Zephon]

Depends on the region, maybe?

Here in the Philippines, if you’re gonna have San Miguel or Red Horse beer in a bottle like an everyman, then you’ll need a bottle opener. Whether you use a spoon, the head of a nail half driven thru a wall, or a proper bottle opener, it won’t matter as long as it gets the job done. Beer in cans or twist cap bottles are….pricier.  Add Ginebra San Miguel gin as well.

Soda bottles used to need cap lifters but they’re now in plastic bottle with twist caps.

Lets see….ah, fish sauce (locally: patis) in a bottle needs a cap lifter.

…..you know what? Any liquid in a bottle whether gin, vinegar, soy sauce will need a bottle opener.


To save space/layers I prefer the combo tool of LM and Vic. I lean towards the can opener instead coz a spoon or half driven nail can work as a bottle opener. (Yeah, I know a spoon can also open a can but I’m not strong enough).

[DEMartin]

I'm 75 with a touch of arthritis, twist off caps can be a challenge; therefore, a cap lifter is a necessity for me.

[Poncho65]

I rarely run into bottles that need a bottle opener but we do go to a Mexican Restaurant occasionally and I will get a Coke and have to use a bottle opener on those 

The last time or so we sat down and ate there I decided to use my MT instead of the bottle openers on the table 

I get a wide eyed look and a from my little girl (whom is at the very easily embarrassed age of 13 ) and opened my Coke performed well

But normally never need one

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm 75 with a touch of arthritis, twist off caps can be a challenge; therefore, a cap lifter is a necessity for me.

Sadly, much of the "new" stuff isn't marketed towards seniors.  My father swears by his SOG tools because of the Compound Leverage, as it allows his hands to still do what they always did.

He also highly recommends smart watches to anyone over a certain age or with any health concerns, and those are rarely marketed towards anyone but twenty somethings with disposable income.  His iWatch monitors his heart rate and calls for help if there are any problems, as does Mom's Samsung Galaxy watch- although I'm not sure if she still has the S3 or has upgraded.  It also helps that the Watch buzzes on his wrist when he gets a call or message, since he is deaf and can't hear the phone when it rings, or feel it vibrate in his jacket.

Sorry to derail this, but I hate seeing an undeserved market, and I hat seeing people spend a pile on one of those "I've fallen and I can't get up" systems when the same features are more readily available cheaper.

Def

[Poncho65]

Good point about smart watches and SOG compound leverage

[BPRoberts]

Bottle opener is less of a necessity, and more of a "why wouldn't you put it on?" You're getting the opener, a screwdriver, a little chisel/prybar, often the wire stripper or something. If you're giving me four tools in one slot, that's good density, and that's what good multitools are all about.

[Tasky]

I don't drink, really, although when I do it's usually whisky, vodka, or something else that comes in a nice corked bottle.
My wife likes wine, mostly.
Everyone else drinks things that comes in screw-cap bottles or cans.

You'd think, being the drunken nation we tend to be here in the UK, that we're the reason multi-tools of every conceivable design always include a flippin' bottle-opener... and yet every drink you get served will be opened for you, because this is the UK and it's presumed you're going to kill yourself and others if you're trusted to do anything for yourself... and we can't have that kind of liability.

Honestly, I've only once ever used the bottle opener to actually open a bottle - It was my Ranger and it was last September before Christmas, opening a bottle of stout for the wife to make Christmas puddings. Usually she buys cans, but went for the fancier stuff this time.
I'm kinda hoping there's a toy bottle out there that has caps, just so my daughter can use the one on her SAK.

[ReamerPunch]

I could probably go my entire life without needing a bottle opener to open bottles. Most bottles are twist caps here. But I use one every chance I get.
This is my dedicated edc bottle opener. It works better than any SAK/MT bottle opener, and it could also scrape, pry, and drive large flathead screws in a pinch.


Normally I carry up to three bottle openers on me: Deluxe Tinker, Rebar, Manager. The thing is, none are exceptional openers, but they do work, and they are all combination tools. It may be a cop out to include it, but why not? It is only a tooth on a flathead, or a notch, and they get to add one more function. And it's not like I can remove the openers. Well, I could I suppose, but I enjoy the other functions of the bottle openers, so it can stay.

[nakken]

Bottle opener is less of a necessity, and more of a "why wouldn't you put it on?" You're getting the opener, a screwdriver, a little chisel/prybar, often the wire stripper or something. If you're giving me four tools in one slot, that's good density, and that's what good multitools are all about.

 

In our part of Europe there is a lot of glass bottles and no twist caps, so it might be a regional thing. For me it's probably one of the most used tools due to its many functions. In additional to the ones listed above, the Victorinox Bantam has a combined bottle and can opener, giving it a total of five fictions in one single piece.

[Farmer X]

Here in the Philippines, if you’re gonna have San Miguel or Red Horse beer in a bottle like an everyman, then you’ll need a bottle opener.

I had a Filipino roommate when I was in the Navy. He used to open his beer bottles with another beer bottle. Once I asked him why he didn't just get a bottle opener. His reply? When living in the Philippines, he would "rather sell the bottle opener and buy more beer!"

I do like having a bottle opener. Beer in bottles tastes better to me, and I'm not skilled at removing pop-off caps with anything other than a bottle opener. SAK bottle openers are the best I've yet found.

[smiller43147]

Bottle openers (also can openers) on most SAK/MTs are as already pointed out, usually multifunction tools.  So why not include them.  What irks me is all the one piece type tools that seem to have to include this function that reduce the strength of the pry bar in doing so.

[Farmer X]

What irks me is all the one piece type tools that seem to have to include this function that reduce the strength of the pry bar in doing so.

I've not tried out the bottle opener function on my Shard or Mullet, but they do seem to pry perfectly okay. Prying with a tool that's flimsy on account of the designer feeling compelled to include a bottle opener must be an exercise is frustration.

[McStitchy]

No twist caps in Europe mostly 
Do you not know that? 

I like the combined Can/Bottle opener from Leatherman the most (the ones like on the Wave).

I would miss it if it's not included.

[kkokkolis]

I like my caps twisted, not lifted.

[ReamerPunch]

The thing is, a SAK bottle-opener is just a tiny hook on a flathead. ok, another function for little more metal, fine.

I once saw on youtube a tactical shovel multi-tool with a bottle opener hole. 

[nakken]

For reference regarding SAKs. The combined one in the middle is brilliant

[PeaceInOurTime]

I use the bottle openers on my multitools. Often, the most convenient way to open a bottle is with an opener, even though there are many ways to do it.

[GrouchoM]

I don't use it as an opener but like the rest of its functionalities. I suppose the opening could have been shaped to accept ¼" bolts.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Syncop8r]

I prefer when they are in combination with another tool.
I would like to see one incorporated into the handle of a multitool, to free up a tool slot for something else.

[SurgeUk]

Just tried the one on my Gerber Octane. Not impressed   

[Zephon]

I had a Filipino roommate when I was in the Navy. He used to open his beer bottles with another beer bottle. Once I asked him why he didn't just get a bottle opener. His reply? When living in the Philippines, he would "rather sell the bottle opener and buy more beer!"

I do like having a bottle opener. Beer in bottles tastes better to me, and I'm not skilled at removing pop-off caps with anything other than a bottle opener. SAK bottle openers are the best I've yet found.

I completely forgot about that! Opening a beer bottle with another beer bottle! Saw my Dad’s drinking buddies do that. There is a risk that the wrong bottle opens though, and I’ve seen that happen.

Yes, they do say beer tastes better from a bottle.

Bottle openers (also can openers) on most SAK/MTs are as already pointed out, usually multifunction tools.  So why not include them.  What irks me is all the one piece type tools that seem to have to include this function that reduce the strength of the pry bar in doing so.

Was about to say that too - I would rather have a flat philips or flat hex (think LM bits) on an OPT than another bottle opener.


With that said, last time I used a bottle opener was…..2018? 2019? It was the bottle opener of the Micra that I used!

Coz the nail at the soda stall’s wooden post fell off and that was supposed to be their bottle opener.  Had to open a couple of bottles for another customer too.

[buggs]

The last time or so we sat down and ate there I decided to use my MT instead of the bottle openers on the table 

I get a wide eyed look and a from my little girl (whom is at the very easily embarrassed age of 13 ) and opened my Coke performed well

Embarrassing your daughter is important for her personal growth.   

I don't know that the bottle openers are really necessary for those of us in the western modern world where most things are twist off or in cans anyway.  Kind of think of them as an artefact of the past.  I know when I was a kid in the 70s that opener on the swiss army knife got used an awful lot.  My late teenage years and early twenties encompassed an era of non-twist off and limited production of beer in cans, so an absolute necessity.  Many friends carried a dedicated bottle opener at the time. 

[GearedForwards]

I'm of the why not mentality, particularly because whilst you can open a bottle many different ways, they'll often have you looking for an implement or surface to do so and run risks you just won't have with a dedicated opener. Like putting the lip of the glass on the table edge and shattering the neck of the bottle when you smack the top, I've seen that happen a couple times and the later in the night it gets the more likely stupid accidents like that are likely to happen

I do so it's surprisingly hearing about bars that would give you a closed bottle, at that point you may as well just buy it cheaper from a store 

[Syncop8r]

I completely forgot about that! Opening a beer bottle with another beer bottle! Saw my Dad’s drinking buddies do that.

That happens here a lot, I try to avoid doing it as I'm not very good at it.
I once saw someone open a bottle with his eye socket. 
Opening crate bottles with a fish slice is fun.

[nate j]

I do appreciate having a bottle opener, and use it fairly regularly, as I often drink beer that comes in bottles with the caps that don’t twist off.

The fact that makeshift/substitute bottle openers are frequently readily available in the environment is an argument against including them on MTs.  However, these alternative methods are not quite as convenient, quick, or foolproof (especially after you’ve already enjoyed several of said beverages haha).

And, as others have noted, the simple design makes it cheap for manufacturers to add, often as an additional feature on another implement.

[buggs]

I had a Filipino roommate when I was in the Navy. He used to open his beer bottles with another beer bottle. Once I asked him why he didn't just get a bottle opener. His reply? When living in the Philippines, he would "rather sell the bottle opener and buy more beer!"

Necessity is the mother of invention.  Things I've opened beer bottles with other than an opener on a knife/tool or dedicated opener:

Teeth 
Hairbrush
Edge of any flat surface such as a table - not this is quite often note good for the surface and I left a trail of destruction in my youth.  But yes, I have seen a number of bottles break at the neck (you just keep your teeth together while drinking to strain out any broken glass at that point
butter knife
screwdriver
another beer bottle
Bic plastic lighter
old metal car bumpers (trucks were better as they were rarely rounded)

There's plenty more.  Once you get the feel of it and where to place the edge of just about anything relatively sturdy against your knuckle, you can do it easily enough.  Really as long as it's not flexible you can probably use it as an opener/leverage point.  Flexible/brittle is bad. 

[Farmer X]

With that said, last time I used a bottle opener was…..2018? 2019? It was the bottle opener of the Micra that I used!

How well did it work? Being that it's sort of similar to the combo tool on a 58mm SAK, I'm curious. I've only used 84-93mm SAK cap lifters and combo tools for that purpose.

Things I've opened beer bottles with other than an opener on a knife/tool or dedicated opener:

Teeth 

I've done that...but only with twist-off caps.

[Alan K.]

To me scissors are a requirement on my EDC tools but bottle openers are rarely used and probably wouldn't be missed.

[Valkie]

I could probably go my entire life without needing a bottle opener to open bottles. Most bottles are twist caps here. But I use one every chance I get.
This is my dedicated edc bottle opener. It works better than any SAK/MT bottle opener, and it could also scrape, pry, and drive large flathead screws in a pinch.
(Image removed from quote.)

Normally I carry up to three bottle openers on me: Deluxe Tinker, Rebar, Manager. The thing is, none are exceptional openers, but they do work, and they are all combination tools. It may be a cop out to include it, but why not? It is only a tooth on a flathead, or a notch, and they get to add one more function. And it's not like I can remove the openers. Well, I could I suppose, but I enjoy the other functions of the bottle openers, so it can stay.

That's two for never using one in Australia.
To make matters worse, I don't drink beer.

This means that the last time i used a bottle opener was when I was last in England (10 years ago).
And the last time in Australia (tat I can remember) about 48 years ago.

The larger screwdriver however, regular use, but a phillips head is more used.