Here we are at another Thursday and this week instead of the word of the week, I am talking about the history of the can opener.
Although preservation of food using tin cans had been practiced since at least 1772 in the Netherlands, the first can openers were not patented until 1855 in England and 1858 in the United States. These early openers were basically variations of a knife, though the 1855 design continues to be produced.
In 1858, another lever-type opener of a more complex shape was patented in the United States by Ezra Waner of Waterbury, Connecticut USA. It consisted of a sharp sickle, which was pushed into the can and sawed around its edge. A guard kept the sickle from penetrating too far into the can.
Many attempts to improve on Warner’s invention were made over the next decade and eventually the basis of the modern can opener that we recognise today came to life, with another US inventor, William Lyman, being the first to create a rotary cutter to cut around the can in 1870.
The first electric can opener, based on the cutting wheels principle, able to open more than 20 cans for a minute, was patented by Preston C. West in the USA on 1 December 1931.
In 1959, Ermal Fraze devised a can-opening method that would come to dominate the canned drink market. His invention was the “pull-tab”. This eliminated the need for a separate opener tool by attaching an aluminum pull-ring lever with a rivet to a pre-scored wedge-shaped tab section of the can top.
Jo-AnneRamplings 
Dearest Jo-Anne,
That third image looks like one I recall from childhood!
Indeed, what a long way we’ve all come and how clever those that invented the ‘better’ ones for opening a can with ease.
Hugs,
Mariette
I can’t imagine trying to use one of those old can openers, they have come a long way
💯
This is interesting but how did you ever come up with this idea?
I love history and how things came about being, who invented them and such. I am pleased you liked the post