Can Opening without can opener?

[demographic]

I have one of those tichy army tin opener things in my stove pots, weighs about the same as a tuppence.
Its not hard to open a tin with a knife but it doesn't do the edge much good.

Also if we are looking at a primitive technique to open tins it worth bearing in mind that primitive man mebbe didn't have this problem

 

[Glen]

Also if we are looking at a primitive technique to open tins it worth bearing in mind that primitive man mebbe didn't have this problem

I took the task from the original post ( can, bayonet but no opener ) and thought about the constuction method Grey Owl noted above. Reasoned that the strongest part would be the fold itself, the weakest the material just below that, as it would have been streched in the folding. Using a upright backstop ( a tree would do ) means there's minimum give when a knife point is knocked into it so it entered easily and cleanly. Note it just had to make a small piercing with the blow that was then extended by the safer method of pushing the knife further in.

It turned out easier to open that way than using the can opener on any of my multifunction knives. I'll continue to use the openers for the reason you stated, over time it won't do the knife much good, but on the ocassions I've not got an opener this does work very well.

I really liked the idea of the torniquey method though, must try it with some paracord next mealtime.

 

[maddave]

I've always got an old army can opener in my ditty bag, weighs about half an ounce and is about the size of 2 postage stamps

 

[demographic]

I've always got an old army can opener in my ditty bag, weighs about half an ounce and is about the size of 2 postage stamps

Yep, thats what I have.

It's not rocket science to use either

 

[Singeblister]

dont all cans have the pull off tops now ?

Anyway You can put a stick across the top of the can tap you knife though the top and use it against the stick to cut round the can, not great for your knife but good for your belly

 

[Carcajou Garou]

I can use my HB axe bottom edge and rock it back and forth like the SAK knife opener, since I carry a SAK in my pocket and a GI style can opener in my mess kit I seem t be A OK with it all.

 

[BOD]

Found myself w/o a can opener for the dog food so tried opening it by batoning the can with a parang. Can opener was packed and sent off to malaysia!

Placed the blade on the horizonatl can just behind the rim and gave the parang a few whacks .

Can opened quite cleanly but the side wall collapsed a bit before the blade cut through.

Not as good as the other ideas mentioned here (including having a can opner handy)

Not great for the blade but no damage sustained

 

[oetzi]

An axe is a good tool, as is any other sharp/pointy thing. I wouldnt hesitat to use a knife and stick to baton it through the tin, as one can alsways resharpen it.

 

[Neanderthal]

Medium sized Opinel knives are good for opening cans.

Just punch the point through the lid using the heel of your hand on the knife butt and the blade edge facing forward. Lever the back of the blade over the edge of the can and push the knife forward and/or rotate the can while repeating the motion..

Tips.
Make sure the blade is locked!
Cans of tuna in oil can squirt oil out when punctured at altitude, probably due to differences in pressure between packing and opening.

 

[Klenchblaize]

A 35g V-Max from my K . 22 Hornet??

Sorry!

 

[Mikey P]

There are some great ideas here, but why not go for the more sporting method?

1) Place un-opened can in fire.
2) Everyone stands in a circle around the fire with their plate in their hands.
3) Wait several minutes.
4) What you catch, you get to eat !

I'll get my coat...

Damn it! I was going to suggest that!

 

[davef]

There are some great ideas here, but why not go for the more sporting method?

1) Place un-opened can in fire.
2) Everyone stands in a circle around the fire with their plate in their hands.
3) Wait several minutes.
4) What you catch, you get to eat !

I'll get my coat...

better still place it in someone elses fire that way the 'fallout' happens to their campsite

not that we ever 'depthcharged' other troops campfires when I was in scouts of course...

 

[BOD]

Medium sized Opinel knives are good for opening cans.

Just punch the point through the lid using the heel of your hand on the knife butt and the blade edge facing forward. Lever the back of the blade over the edge of the can and push the knife forward and/or rotate the can while repeating the motion..

Tips.
Make sure the blade is locked!
.

This is a good tip. Tried it with my No. 8 and it was scary how easily and how much metal it sliced through each time I levered it back. Quicker and not any messier than with my SAK can opener. Only thing to watch out for is the upturned edges of the can. No need for a can opener any more!!

Have some rep

 

[mrostov]

Opened them many times with no can opener, for one reason or another.

Oetzi has it right on how to do it. You can do something similar with a knife, just take care of the tip. Hold the knife straight down and baton it. You don't need to baton that hard either.

 

[Omega]

I was in the following situation in 1995 as a student: we were sent to work at one place on Issyk-Kul lake with two more of my University friends. We ended up at some "sanatorium" on the lakeside in the forest and had to cook our own food on open fire for about 3 weeks. It was only me who brought a cheap knife.
Well, we kept opening our cans with this knife until one of sanatorium wardens, veteran of Afghanistan war, showed us how to open cans with a piece of sharp stone: you place the stone inside the rim of the can and just keep moving the sharp end of the stone in circles supported by the rim and pressing on the lid. The metal wears out with time and you have your can opened!
Since I did not want to blunt my knife further, I started opening cans this way. It takes some time, but at least it kept the knife sharp, we had to stay there for 2 mothns.

 

[rik_uk3]

P51, or eat from rat packs, no can opener needed then

 

[DMBackpacker]

There are some great ideas here, but why not go for the more sporting method?

1) Place un-opened can in fire.
2) Everyone stands in a circle around the fire with their plate in their hands.
3) Wait several minutes.
4) What you catch, you get to eat !

I'll get my coat...

Reminds me of a story.

A physicist, chemist and mathematician were shipwrecked on a desert island. Their only rations were in cans, but nobody had a can opener. So they fell to arguing over the best way to open the cans.

The physicist said, "Let's resolve the problem according to the laws of physics. Build a fire and put the can in the fire. The contents will expand, thus causing the can material to fail at its weakest point."

The others didn't like that idea because the food would fly out in an uncontrolled manner and get lost in the sand.

The chemist said, "Let's resolve the problem according to the laws of chemistry. Put the can in salt water. A chemical reaction will cause the metal of the can to corrode, thus weakening it so that we can force it open."

The others didn't like that idea because it would take so long they would die of starvation first.

The mathematician said, "Let's resolve the problem according to the laws of mathematics. Given a can opener . . ."

 

[indy82]

i am an archaeologist and have perfected the art of can or indeed bottle opening with my trusty trowel!

tho if you dont carry a can opener with the cans your probably less likely to have a 4" pointing trowel!