Online users tried to identify a mysterious metal tool found in a kitchen drawer. A Redditor posted: “[What is this thing?] Found it while cleaning grandma’s house… we think it’s a can opener multitool, but don’t know how it works.”
Comments ranged from guesses of antique can openers to camping tools, with some joking it was a weapon. Many shared injury stories: “Still have a scar where it slipped,” wrote one. It turned out to be a vintage lever-type can opener, notorious for cutting unskilled users.
Canned food predates easy-open tools. Ezra Warner made the first lever opener in 1858, followed by William Lyman’s safer rotary design in 1870. Later came keyed cans, electric openers, and ergonomic models.
Some still swear by the old design: “Dangerous if misused, but the best!”
