The Eighty Year Wait For Openers

Tin cans were used to store food for over eight decades before anyone actually invented a tool to open them. People originally had to use heavy hammers or chisels to hack through the metal.

Food preservation in metal cans began in the 1770s, but for most of the early 19th century, users struggled with crude methods. Soldiers were often forced to use bayonets or rocks to access their rations. It took until 1855 for a formal patent to change how we access preserved meals. The simplicity of the first designs was so effective that some versions are still being manufactured today.